How Significantly Will BrahMos Transform Indonesia's Military Strength?
JAKARTA — The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) is still awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Defence regarding the use of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles that Indonesia will acquire through its defence cooperation with India.
Chief of the TNI AL Information Service, First Admiral Tunggul, said discussions concerning the weapons system remain in the hands of the Ministry of Defence.
“As for the cooperation with India, this is still being handled by the Ministry of Defence,” Tunggul said at a press conference at the TNI AL Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Monday (13 July 2026).
Tunggul has not yet clarified whether the BrahMos will be deployed as a coastal defence system, mounted on warships, or developed for other platforms. He has also not specified which TNI units will eventually operate the system.
Nevertheless, TNI AL welcomes the Indonesia-India cooperation positively. According to Tunggul, the presence of the new weapons system has the potential to strengthen Indonesia’s defence capabilities, particularly in facing threats originating from the maritime domain.
The Navy’s statement indicates that the contract announcement at government level has not yet been accompanied by an open explanation of its operational concept. The government has confirmed the procurement, but decisions on the end user, platform, number of launcher units, deployment and operational phases remain under the authority of the Ministry of Defence.
Contract announced at the Merdeka Palace
The BrahMos procurement contract between BrahMos Aerospace and Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence was announced in the presence of President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (7 July 2026).
The contract was one of 16 cooperation documents announced during Modi’s state visit. Other documents covered maritime safety, disaster management, critical minerals, telecommunications technology, health, agriculture, and research and innovation.
On the same occasion, Indian defence company Bharat Dynamics Limited and Republikorp announced a cooperation on air-to-air missiles. That system differs from BrahMos and is projected to support the modernisation of Indonesia’s air combat capabilities.
Prime Minister Modi said Indonesia and India agreed to enhance cooperation in defence, industry, disaster management and maritime security in the Indian Ocean. President Prabowo also emphasised the importance of developing new technology and strengthening security dialogue between the two countries.
However, the government has not disclosed the official value of the BrahMos contract, the number of missiles to be acquired, the system configuration, the production schedule, or the delivery timeline.
Reuters, citing Indian sources, estimated the total value of the BrahMos and Astra missile package at around US$630 million. However, that figure has not been officially confirmed by the Indonesian government. Reuters also reported that the procurement scheme will likely be implemented in phases, accompanied by infrastructure development, operator training, maintenance and technical support.