March 13, 2026 | 02:54 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Ministry of Defense has reached an agreement with India to bring the BrahMos missile system as part of the modernization of the main weaponry system. Head of the Defense Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that the plan to acquire this supersonic missile system has been ongoing for years.
"In 2024, there has been an expression of interest agreement within the defense cooperation framework between Indonesia and India," he said in his statement on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
Rico stated that the government is not able to disclose more details regarding the procurement of the BrahMos missile system. According to him, information regarding the number of units, contract value, and delivery schedules is contractual and cannot be publicly disclosed.
"Currently, the process is still related to the availability of budget and further mechanisms. We will inform you when it arrives," said the one-star general.
According to a report by India Today on January 27, 2025, Indonesia is said to have completed an agreement to purchase the BrahMos missile from India worth US$450 million (around Rp 7.6 trillion). The BrahMos missile is a combat weapon developed through collaboration between India and Russia. The name BrahMos itself is taken from the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moscow River in Russia.
The supersonic cruise missile system is a highly precise weapon designed to attack land and sea targets. One of the advantages of the BrahMos missile is its speed, which reaches about Mach 2.8 to Mach 3 or nearly three times the speed of sound. The BrahMos missile's high speed makes it difficult to intercept.
In addition to its precision and speed, the BrahMos missile has a long range. The standard BrahMos variant can reach targets at a range of about 300 to 500 kilometers. Meanwhile, export variants usually have their range limited to 290 kilometers, as per international missile technology control rules.
The BrahMos missile is also considered flexible as it can be launched from various platforms such as fighter aircraft, submarines, warships, and mobile ground launchers. The BrahMos missile, which can be launched from ships or land, is 8.2 meters long, has a body diameter of 0.67 meters, and has a launch weight of 3,000 kilograms.
Meanwhile, the air-launched BrahMos missile is 8.0 meters long, has a diameter of 0.67 meters, and has a launch weight of 2,200 to 2,500 kilograms. This supersonic cruise missile, developed by India and Russia, carries a warhead weighing 200 to 300 kilograms, or a submunition warhead weighing 250 kilograms.
Beni Sukadis, a researcher at the Indonesian Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies, questioned the readiness of Indonesian personnel who will operate the BrahMos missiles. He also questioned the efforts to maintain the vehicles carrying the BrahMos missiles to ensure their operational capability in the long term.
"I see the purchase of BrahMos as adding a deterrent for the Indonesian military for coastal defense," he said when contacted on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
He stated that the Indonesian defense agency wants to implement a defense strategy that focuses on preventing or limiting enemy entry into the defense area. Although the issue of personnel and vehicle carriers needs to be clarified, Beni believes that the purchase of the BrahMos missile from India is still within the framework of the post-Minimum Essential Force military modernization from 2019 to 2024.
"The urgency can be said to be relevant because the uncertain geopolitical issues could lead to conflicts in areas such as the South China Sea," he said.
Moreover, he stated that in recent times, China has been aggressive in military maneuvers, not only in the South China Sea but also in the Taiwan Strait. He said that this situation could drag Indonesia into the conflict if the Chinese authorities are reckless or trigger-happy. "Although not a party involved, Indonesia could be dragged into the conflict because it is close to the conflict area," he said.
Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defense Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defense, stated that the procurement of the BrahMos missile system will support coastal defense capabilities. "In order to strengthen Indonesia's maritime defense," he said.
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