Modi, Prabowo strike deal for Indonesia to acquire Indian BrahMos missiles :: WRAL.com

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reached a major defense deal Tuesday, allowing Jakarta to acquire India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

The agreement, part of around a dozen agreements, was reached during Modi’s three-day visit to Indonesia, the first leg of his foreign visit to the Indo-Pacific countries. The deal, reached a day after China launched a long-range ballistic missile, is expected to boost India’s defense exports and strategic cooperation between Jakarta and New Delhi.

Speaking alongside Modi after their talks at Merdeka Palace, Indonesia’s main presidential office, Prabowo hailed Modi’s visit as a “historic milestone” in bilateral relations, saying the two countries had agreed to deepen cooperation in defense, security, trade, energy, health, education and cultural exchanges.

“We are two of the largest democracies in the world. Cooperation between our countries will definitely bring benefits to the region,” Prabowo said.

Modi said ties between India and Indonesia have gained “new energy” in recent years, with the comprehensive strategic partnership established in 2018 continuing to grow.

“We are making significant progress in all areas, including development, security, technology, culture and education,” Modi said.

The Indian missiles are manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, a joint venture between the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization and the Russian NGO Mashinostroyeniya. It can be launched from land batteries, warships, submarines and aircraft, at speeds up to three times the speed of sound.

Indonesia is the third-largest foreign buyer of the missiles after the Philippines and Vietnam, local media said, as the BrahMos offers powerful coastal and anti-ship defense capabilities. Its high speed makes it difficult to intercept and can help deter hostile naval forces in strategic waterways, including areas around the South China Sea and key maritime chokepoints in Southeast Asia.

Tuesday’s agreements also included an agreement to strengthen maritime security cooperation, with the two countries sharing strategic interests along key maritime routes connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Modi arrived in Jakarta on Monday afternoon and received a warm welcome, with his plane escorted into Indonesian airspace by three fighter jets. He was welcomed on the tarmac by Prabowo at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, underscoring the importance Jakarta places on its relations with New Delhi.

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty said Modi was also expected to address members of Indonesia’s Parliament on Tuesday before attending an evening with the Indian community in Indonesia. He said the visit reflects growing cooperation between two of Asia’s most influential democracies.

“In the recent geopolitical context, closer ties between the two Southern leaders are essential so that we can convey to the world the message that we are together and working for each other’s strength,” Chakravorty told reporters ahead of the visit.

Modi is scheduled to visit the ancient city of Yogyakarta on Wednesday, where he may announce the start of an India-backed restoration project at the Prambanan Hindu Temple, one of Indonesia’s most important cultural heritage sites. The project follows an agreement reached during Prabowo’s visit to India.

Indonesia and India are members of the Group of 20 developing and emerging economies and BRICS.

Modi will visit Australia on the same day to meet his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.