By Shivam Patel
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indonesia and India will discuss boosting defence ties, including a potential deal to sell Russian-Indian supersonic cruise missiles to Jakarta, during the Indonesian president’s visit to New Delhi this week, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Indonesia has been in protracted talks with BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India and Russia, to procure a shore-based version of the mid-range missiles and a version that can be mounted on warships.
BrahMos told Reuters in 2023 that it was in advanced discussions with Jakarta on a deal worth $200 million to $350 million. Two people familiar with the matter said a deal has not yet been finalised and talks are continuing.
President Prabowo Subianto, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday and will attend Republic Day celebrations on Sunday, said ahead of the trip that his visit would focus on strengthening ties in security, maritime, and digital technology sectors.
A spokesperson for Indonesia’s defence ministry said they did not have any information to share on the talks. Spokespersons for India’s defence and foreign ministries, as well as BrahMos Aerospace, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said in a Dec. 16 post on X that “collaboration on advanced technology, such as BrahMos,” was one of the highlights of discussions with the visiting Indian Navy chief.
Potential buyers in Southeast Asia as well as the Middle East have shown interest in the BrahMos missiles. The company clinched its first foreign deal, with the Philippines, in 2022.
India is the world’s biggest arms importers but it has made a push in recent years to sell domestically-produced weapons and military hardware abroad.
BrahMos has been a key part of India’s defence diplomacy since 2020, analysts say, when ties nosedived with Beijing after 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in one of the bloodiest clashes at the border in five decades.
Most countries in Southeast Asia have seen enhanced defence spending in recent years in response to growing Chinese maritime presence in the South China Sea and some surrounding areas.
(Reporting by Shivam Patel in New Delhi; Additional reporting by Ananda Teresia in Jakarta; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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