The Philippines is bringing together two different defence technologies as it strengthens its coastal defences against China. One is the Israeli made Hermes UAV. The other is the Indian Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. A recent US Philippine military exercise showed how these systems could support a maritime strike mission.

On August 25, the Philippine and US forces held a joint exercise called ‘Archipelagic Coastal Defense Continuum 26.4’. It simulated a maritime strike from northern Luzon. Philippine Hermes UAVs were used to locate and track a simulated Chinese naval formation. Planners then developed a fire plan for a possible BrahMos strike.

The simulated formation included Chinese Type 052D destroyers, Type 054A frigates and a Type 901 fast combat support ship. These are actual classes of ships operated by the Chinese Navy. The choice of targets therefore reflected the kind of naval force that the Philippine forces could face in the region.

The exercise focused on what is known as a ‘kill chain’. In simple terms, the Hermes UAV provides the eyes while the BrahMos provides the strike capability. The UAV helps locating and tracking a maritime target beyond visual range. The information can then help planners identify the target and prepare a fire plan.

The final stage in this chain is the shooter. In this case, it is a mobile Philippine BrahMos coastal missile battery. The combination is important because a missile battery needs accurate information about a moving warship. Finding and tracking the target is therefore as important as having the missile itself.

The BrahMos traces its lineage to the Soviet era P 800 Oniks family of anti-ship missiles. India and Russia later developed the BrahMos, which is one of the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles. It is designed for several roles, including anti-ship warfare and land attack.

The Philippines became the first foreign buyer of the BrahMos system from India. Manila signed a $375 million deal in 2022 for three batteries of the shore based anti-ship missile system. The acquisition has become an important part of the Philippines' efforts to strengthen its coastal defences.

The Philippines faces the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing have competing territorial claims. The country's first BrahMos facility is in Western Luzon. It faces the South China Sea and the area around the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

Further BrahMos deployments are planned in Northern Luzon and Palawan. These locations could eventually give the Philippines several land-based missile positions covering important maritime approaches. Together, they could create overlapping areas where hostile ships could be detected and engaged. The Hermes UAVs provide the surveillance layer. The Philippines operates Israeli made Hermes 450 and Hermes 900 UAVs. Their main role is intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. In the recent exercise, the drones were used to locate and track the simulated naval force rather than directly attack it.

The exercise does not prove that the Hermes UAV is directly connected to the BrahMos through an automated data link. It also does not mean that the US is operating the Philippine BrahMos system. The missiles remain under the control of the Philippine military.

US Marines are helping Philippine forces develop the procedures, targeting processes and fire planning needed for a maritime strike. The exercise showed how information gathered through surveillance could be incorporated into the planning of a potential BrahMos engagement.

The development shows that the Philippines is looking beyond individual weapons. It is working on how different systems can support each other during an operation. An Israeli UAV can provide surveillance, Philippine forces can process the information, and a BrahMos battery can provide the long-range strike capability.

The broader strategic picture is significant for China. A mobile BrahMos battery can threaten naval targets from land, while UAVs can help locate and track those targets. US Philippine cooperation can further improve the planning and employment of these systems. For India, the development highlights the unusual journey of the BrahMos. A missile developed through India-Russia cooperation has become a key Indian defence export. It is now being prepared for use by the Philippines, with US forces helping Manila develop the procedures to employ it.

The recent exercise does not show that the Philippines has created a fully integrated system to attack Chinese warships. But it does show the direction of its coastal defence planning. Israeli Hermes drones can provide the eyes, BrahMos can provide the strike capability and the US-Philippine cooperation can help connect the process.

Savio Rodrigues

Savio Rodrigues is a Research Analyst at Escape Velocity MediaWorks Pvt Ltd and writes for Chakra News on Defence, Geopolitics, National Security. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Mumbai.