BrahMos Missile Range Limited, Indonesia's Defense Plan Questioned

JAKARTA - Quoted from MalaysiaNow, on July 7 to 8, 2026, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Indonesia, and one of the important agendas during the visit is to finalize the contract to sell the BrahMos missile system from India to Indonesia.

It is noted that the BrahMos missile system to be supplied is planned to be deployed in strategic waterways such as the Malacca Strait.

Imagine if Indonesia has the ability to destroy enemy aircraft carriers with missiles that travel almost three times the speed of sound. Maybe it looks very tempting, especially considering the growing threats in the Southeast Asian region.

However, is the reality really like what we imagine? Although the BrahMos missile is claimed to have a supersonic speed of Mach 2.8, the range of the BrahMos missile exported to Indonesia is limited to 290 kilometers or even less than 290 kilometers to comply with international provisions of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

This range is far from enough to cover Indonesia's very extensive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters, let alone to effectively defend Indonesian territory. Defense capabilities like this are like using a short fence to protect a large garden, so it feels inadequate.

More worrying, the version used for the Indian domestic military in the application of combat also poses serious problems. In May 2025, India for the first time used the BrahMos missile in a conflict with Pakistan, and at least 100 of the missiles were fired, but a large number of missiles lost the predetermined flight path and serious deviations from the target due to electronic interference, significantly reducing the effectiveness of the military attack.

The appearance of the BrahMos missile in the actual battle raised questions about the real effectiveness of the BrahMos missile system in a complex combat environment. In Indonesia, this purchase plan also received harsh criticism from the public. Defense analysts at the Indonesian Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies (Lesperssi), Beni Sukadis, questioned the readiness of Indonesian military personnel who would operate the BrahMos missile. He is also concerned about proper maintenance for the missile launch vehicle, thus ensuring long-term combat capabilities.

Currently, the French-made Exocet MM 40 Block-3 Missile is a strategic weapon of the Indonesian National Army Navy (TNI AL) which has the ability to attack surface ships (Anti-Ship Missile), as well as being able to attack target ships for Coastline or Littoral Attack Mission, and a range of 180 to 200 kilometers.

Meanwhile, the BrahMos missile only provides an additional range of about 90-110 kilometers. However, this requires Indonesia to spend a very high cost.

It is known that the plan to purchase three BrahMos missile systems involves a loan from the National Bank of India worth 450 million US dollars, this price is much higher than the sale of three similar systems to the Philippines in 2022 with 375 million US dollars.

This is questionable: why can the price for the same amount and specifications have a significant price difference? Is the price difference used for improving the configuration of technology or even go into private pockets? In addition, this dependence on foreign debt also has the potential to provide a heavy fiscal burden on Indonesia and even cause a debt crisis that affects the economy.

Historical experience shows that, as happened in Thailand in 1997. Thailand, which at that time also relied on foreign loans to buy various military equipment, was entangled in a major economic crisis known as the Asian Currency Crisis.

Indonesia, although having one of the largest economies in Southeast Asia, remains vulnerable to global economic fluctuations and internal conditions. Adding foreign debt by buying BrahMos missiles could worsen Indonesia's fiscal difficulties and have a potential impact on national security strategies.

Consultant at Marapi Consulting and Advisory with specialization in defense industry and market, Alman Helvas Ali said that until now Indonesia's economic performance has not been able to support the allocation of one percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the defense sector.

"Defense spending must be carried out carefully, taking into account fiscal conditions, strategic defense planning, and technological factors. The decision to procure a single missile system should not be made at the expense of the country's financial health," he said, quoted Thursday, June 11.