Thailand in talks with India to buy Brahmos cruise missiles

  1. According to media reports, Thailand is in talks with India over purchasing BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. If the sale materialises, it will be the first export of the BrahMos missile by India.
  2. BrahMos missile is a 2.5 ton supersonic air to surface cruise missile with ranges of close to 300 km.
  3. BrahMos is a joint venture between India and Russia. It is named after Brahmaputra and Moscow rivers. It is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets.
  4. In recent times, Thailand and India has increased maritime interaction and cooperation. The navies of India and Thailand have been working together in the areas of disaster risk management, maritime security safety, information sharing and interoperability.
  5. The two navies conduct a Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) exercise twice a year every year since 2005. It aims to keep a vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.
  6. The CORPAT has also strengthened understanding and interoperability between the navies. It has also facilitated institution of measures to prevent unlawful activities at sea as well as conduct Search and Rescue (SAR) operations.
  7. Further, the first India, Thailand and Singapore trilateral naval exercise will be held in September 2019.