New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The defence and security partnership has become the central pillar of India-Philippines strategic alignment, further strengthened during the visit of Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, last week.

The strong defence ties are clearly demonstrated in the agreement signed on the sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems to the Philippines.

Philippines is the first nation to purchase missile from India. India’s BrahMos cruise missile system, delivered in two batches (first in April 2024; second in April 2025), has advanced coastal defence capability of the Philippine Marine Corps, Rahul Mishra, Associate Professor at the Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, SIS, JNU, said in a report on 360info.

Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr was on a State visit to India from August 4-8. During his visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called defence cooperation “a symbol of deep mutual trust” between two nations.

Marcos Jr stated that India and Philippines have agreed to continue levelling up cooperation in defence and security while expressing satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines ongoing defence modernization and the expanding capabilities and footprint of India’s indigenous defence industry as a partner in this undertaking that is exemplified by the BrahMos project.

On the eve of President Marcos visit to India, the navies of India and Philippines participated in their first-ever joint exercises in the South China Sea on August 3-4. The exercises were held in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, as part of Manila’s efforts to counter China’s maritime assertiveness. For the exercise, India had deployed three warships – INS Delhi, INS Shakti, and INS Kiltan while the Philippines deployment comprised BRP Miguel Malvar and BRP Jose Rizal. Reportedly, Chinese vessels followed the Indian-Philippine flotilla, according to the report.

This shift indicates a strategic evolution in India’s approach towards the Indo‑Pacific. Previously, India had refrained from directly mentioning South China Sea with only few exceptions. However, India has now expressed adherence to the 2016 South China Sea arbitration award, focusing on upholding a rules-based maritime order.

India no longer considers South China Sea issue as a peripheral concern, but is being regarded integral to its maritime and economic security as well as its regional leadership claims. India’s partnership with the Philippines showcases New Delhi’s ambitions in the Indo‑Pacific, Rahul Mishra stated in a report on 360info.

India’s presence in South China Sea through naval exercises and selling Brahmos missile to Philippines demonstrates an operational follow-through and not just diplomatic alignment. The move is aimed to present a viable counterweight to China’s claims in a region important for global trade, according to the report. Philippines pursuit of having deeper ties with regional partners like India demonstrates its willingness to reduce dependency on a single ally and have multi-directional security and economic collaborations.

–IANS

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