BrahMos consignment to Philippines: ‘Could this have been imagined during Congress rule?’ asks PM Modi

BENGALURU : Referring to the first consignment of India’s BrahMos missile to the Phillippines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked whether all this could have been imagined during Congress rule.

“Yesterday, the first consignment of India’s BrahMos missile has been dispatched to the Philippines. This has generated employment opportunities in large numbers on the ground level. Could all this have been imagined during Congress’ rule?… Congress bad-mouthed Modi and HAL all over the country,” PM Modi said at a public rally in Bengaluru.

Major breakthrough in India's Defense exports

Big day today for India & Philippines Bilateral Strategic Relationship as the consignment of Indian-made #BrahMos cruise missiles is out for delivery to its first export customer Philippines.

This remarkable feat will further boost… pic.twitter.com/00A20vIyRu

— Upasna Mohapatra (@UpasnaMohapatra) April 19, 2024

Underscoring the further achievements in the defence infrastructure scored during his tenure, PM Modi said that the HAL has achieved record turnover, record profit and received a record number of orders.

“The same HAL now has a record turnover, record profit, and receiving a record number of orders. Asia’s largest helicopter factory has been set up in Karnataka. After America, Boeing’s second biggest facility has been set up in Karnataka. This is happening only when the number of factories in India is increasing, and the number of people working in those factories is also increasing,” PM Modi said.

#WATCH | Karnataka: Addressing a public rally in Bengaluru, PM Narendra Modi says, "Yesterday, the first consignment of India's Brahmos missile has been dispatched to the Phillippines. This has generated employment opportunities in large numbers on the ground level. Could all… pic.twitter.com/h431KEbs51

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2024

On Friday, India delivered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as part of the USD 375 million deal between the two sides signed in 2022.

The Indian Air Force sent its American origin C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft with the missiles to the Philippines to deliver the weapon system to the Philippines’ Marine Corps, according to defence sources.

The export of ground systems for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system along with the missiles started last month itself, they said.

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, is said to be one of the most successful missile programs in the world. Acknowledged as the foremost and swiftest precision-guided weapon on a global scale, BRAHMOS has played a pivotal role in enhancing India’s deterrence capabilities.

The Indian Army has integrated multiple BrahMos regiments into its arsenal since 2007. (ANI)