Indonesia has become the third Southeast Asian nation – after Vietnam and the Philippines – to buy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system jointly developed by India and Russia.
Analysts say the missiles will play a vital role in protecting Indonesia’s strategic waterways from becoming collateral damage in the event of a future great-power conflict.
The deal was signed on Tuesday during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day state visit to Indonesia, during which he held bilateral talks with President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta.
On Wednesday, the two leaders also visited the nearly 1,000-year-old Prambanan Hindu Temple in Yogyakarta, a symbolic gesture designed to illustrate their commitment to deepening cultural ties.
Modi hailed his visit as opening “a golden chapter” in India-Indonesia relations, while Prabowo touted it as a “historic milestone”.