'India has signed deal with Vietnam for supply of BrahMos': Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh

📌 Summary:

• First official confirmation: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, said India has signed a deal with Vietnam for supply of BrahMos missiles; deal with Indonesia is in "final stages"
• The Philippines became the first foreign buyer of BrahMos in 2022 with a contract of ~75 million dollars
• India treats ASEAN nations as "friendly foreign countries" eligible to receive advanced defence technologies; "you share technology with people you trust"
• Defence Secretary flagged geopolitical uncertainty (Europe, West Asia), maritime trade disruptions and supply chain vulnerabilities as drivers of new defence partnerships and resilient supply chains
• Domestic context: government-owned firms account for ~72% of India's defence production; three Indian government-owned defence firms are among the world's top 100 arms producers
• Industry has built capabilities in missile systems, fighter aircraft and main battle tanks; work is on to bridge gaps in propulsion technologies across land, air and sea

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — Bilateral agreements; GS3 — Defence indigenisation/exports, Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence, Act East policy, supply-chain resilience.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India (DRDO) and Russia (NPOM); named after Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers; speed ~Mach 2.8-3
• Joint venture company: BrahMos Aerospace (incorporated 1998)
• Foreign buyers: Philippines (2022, first foreign sale), Vietnam (newly signed), Indonesia (in final stages)
• Shangri-La Dialogue is an annual inter-governmental security forum organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore
• India's defence exports surpassed Rs 21,000 crore in FY24

🔑 Key Term: Act East Policy — India's foreign-policy framework launched in 2014 (upgraded from Look East) for stronger economic, strategic and cultural relations with ASEAN and the wider Indo-Pacific; defence exports to ASEAN are a key plank.