Big defence boost! Indonesia to buy India's BrahMos and Astra Missiles during Modi visit

According to the list of outcomes released after the bilateral talks, the two countries reached an agreement on Cooperation on the BrahMos Missile System. They also signed an Air-to-Air Missile Cooperation Agreement, paving the way for Indonesia's acquisition of the indigenous Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.

In another key development, Indonesia agreed to deploy a liaison officer at India's Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), further strengthening maritime security cooperation and information sharing in the Indo-Pacific.

Describing the outcomes of his visit, Prime Minister Modi wrote on X, "The outcome of this visit is comprehensive, substantive, and forward-looking."

He added that the India-Indonesia friendship would continue to scale new heights in the years ahead.

The meeting marked the first interaction between Prime Minister Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto since the latter's State Visit to India in January 2025, when he attended India's 76th Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest.

During the talks, the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, covering trade and investment, defence and security, maritime cooperation, digital and financial technology, energy, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, space, critical minerals and rare earths, culture, tourism, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges.

They also welcomed the launch of the Indonesia Open Network (ION), modelled on India's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), as a major step towards enhancing digital commerce cooperation between the two countries.

What is the BrahMos missile?

According to the official BrahMos Missile programme, BRAHMOS is a supersonic cruise missile capable of being launched from land-based platforms, warships, submarines, and aircraft. Developed jointly by India and Russia, it is regarded as one of the world's fastest operational supersonic cruise missiles and is designed for precision strikes against both land and sea targets.