India and Indonesia took a major step in strengthening their defense partnership last week, signing agreements that include the supply of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system and beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missiles.
The agreements were announced following talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, where the two leaders reviewed their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership spanning defense and security, maritime cooperation, trade and investment.
The meeting concluded with 20 bilateral outcomes, including cooperation on the BrahMos missile system, an air-to-air missile cooperation agreement, and a memorandum of understanding covering minerals and steel supply chain technology.
The missile agreement represents a significant milestone in defense relations between the two countries, which elevated ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018, while reinforcing India’s growing position as a defense exporter in the Indo-Pacific region.
During a joint press conference, Prabowo said Indonesia and India would also strengthen economic cooperation by accelerating negotiations on a preferential trade agreement and upgrading the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement. He also highlighted plans to develop ports in Indonesia’s Sabang, Aceh, and India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The leaders further agreed to expand cooperation on energy security, including solar power development and the exchange of nuclear technology and expertise, while reaffirming support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to Anadolu Agency, bilateral trade between the two countries reached $29.4 billion during the 2023-24 fiscal year, while military cooperation continues to expand across multiple domains.
Modi described the visit as the beginning of “a golden chapter” in India-Indonesia relations, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and diplomacy amid an increasingly uncertain global security environment.
BrahMos missile system
The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia through BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. Named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, the missile is designed for precision strikes against both land and maritime targets.
The missile is capable of speeds of up to Mach 2.8–3.0, making it one of the fastest operational cruise missiles in service. Depending on the variant, it has a range of up to 800 kilometers and can be launched from land-based platforms, naval vessels, submarines and combat aircraft. It carries a conventional warhead weighing approximately 200–300 kilograms and uses a combination of inertial navigation, satellite guidance and an active radar seeker to achieve high precision.
BrahMos has become one of India’s flagship defense exports, with the Philippines becoming the first international customer in 2022. Indonesia’s decision to acquire the system further expands its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, where long-range precision strike capabilities are increasingly viewed as a key element of maritime deterrence.