Modi and Prabowo seal a deal for Indonesia to acquire India's BrahMos missiles

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

The agreement, part of over a dozen, was reached during Modi’s three-day visit to Indonesia, the first stop of his overseas visit to Indo-Pacific nations. The deal, reached a day after China test-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 the Merdeka Palace, Indonesia’s main presidential office, Prabowo hailed Modi's visit as a “historic milestone” in bilateral ties, saying the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation across defense, security, trade, energy, health, education and cultural exchanges.

"We are two of the world’s largest democracies. Cooperation between our countries will certainly 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 strides in every field, including development, security, technology, culture and education,” Modi said.

The Indian missiles are manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organization and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya. It can be launched from land-based batteries, naval ships, submarines, and aircraft, at speeds up to three times the speed of sound.

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

The deals reached Tuesday also included an agreement to enhance maritime security cooperation as the two nations share strategic interests along key shipping routes linking 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 greeted on the tarmac by Prabowo at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, underscoring the importance Jakarta places on its relationship with New Delhi.

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakravorty said Modi is also scheduled to address members of Indonesia’s Parliament Tuesday before attending an evening event 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 two leaders of the Global South are very essential so that we give the message to the world that we are together and we work for each other’s strength,” Chakravorty told reporters ahead of the visit.

Modi is scheduled to travel to the ancient city of Yogyakarta Wednesday, where he may announce the start of an Indian-supported restoration project at the Hindu temple of Prambanan, 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 member states of the Group of 20 major developing countries and emerging economies and BRICS.

Modi will travel to Australia the same day to meet with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.