India news LIVE updates, 7 July 2026: India, Indonesia sign BrahMos, Astra missile deals during PM Modi’s Indonesia visit
India and Indonesia formally signed agreements for the export of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Astra Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missiles during a bilateral visit to Jakarta.
Indonesia signed for additional BrahMos batteries — beyond an initial battery agreed in early 2026 — with media reports earlier citing the overall BrahMos deal value in the range of $200–350 million for the first acquisition tranche.
The Astra Mk-1 missile export agreement marks a landmark first potential international sale of India's indigenously developed air-to-air missile system, developed by DRDO and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited.
The deals are embedded within a broader set of agreements covering EVM technology cooperation, joint port development (Sabang port near the Strait of Malacca), and critical mineral manufacturing.
The agreements deepen the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, first established in May 2018.
India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
The India-Indonesia relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2005, and further upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in May 2018 during the bilateral summit. The CSP encompasses defence, maritime security, trade, investment, and people-to-people ties. A key framework document — the Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific — was adopted in 2018, aligning both countries' positions on freedom of navigation, rules-based maritime order, and ASEAN centrality.
Key Details
- Indonesia is India's largest trading partner within the ASEAN bloc.
- Regular joint naval exercises under the Samudra Shakti series are conducted under the CSP framework.
- India's Act East Policy explicitly identifies Indonesia as a priority partner, given its strategic location at the junction of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
- Indonesia under President Prabowo Subianto has accelerated defence modernisation, creating substantial demand for high-capability weapon systems.
- The July 2026 visit was the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Indonesia since 2018.
The BrahMos and Astra deals represent the operationalisation of the 2018 CSP's defence pillar — moving from frameworks and exercises to actual weapons transfers that create long-term interoperability and supply-chain dependencies.
BrahMos: Supersonic Cruise Missile Technology and Strategic Export Value
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya through BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (incorporated 5 December 1995; India holds 50.5%, Russia 49.5%). The missile entered service with the Indian Navy in 2005 and became the world's first operational supersonic cruise missile. Following India's entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) on 27 June 2016, restrictions on the missile's range were progressively relaxed, enabling extended-range variants.
Key Details
- BrahMos propulsion: solid-fuel booster stage + liquid ramjet sustainer; cruise speed ~Mach 2.8–3 (export version).
- Multi-platform capability: land-launched (TEL), ship-launched, air-launched (Su-30MKI), and submarine-launched variants.
- Terminal sea-skimming capability: can approach at altitudes as low as 5 metres, making it extremely difficult to intercept.
- Export range cap (MTCR-compliant): ~290 km; warhead: up to 300 kg; guidance: inertial navigation + satellite + active radar terminal homing.
- Indonesia's geography — an archipelago of 17,000+ islands — makes a coastal-defence cruise missile particularly suited to its maritime deterrence needs.
- Philippines was the first foreign buyer of BrahMos (2022); Indonesia is among the second wave of buyers.
Indonesia's expansion from one to multiple BrahMos batteries signals a strategic commitment to BrahMos as a core element of its coastal deterrence posture — and validates India's position as an alternative to Western and Chinese arms suppliers in the Indo-Pacific.
Astra BVRAAM: India's Air-to-Air Missile and Its Export Significance
The Astra BVRAAM (Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile) is India's first indigenously developed air-combat missile, designed by DRDO's Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad. The project was formally sanctioned in 2004 and first successfully tested on 4 May 2014. Production technology was transferred to Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), which received a ₹2,971 crore Buy (Indian-IDDM) contract for series production for the IAF and Indian Navy.
Key Details
- Astra Mk-1: ~110 km range (high-altitude launch), speed ~Mach 4+, weight ~170 kg, diameter 178 mm; fire-and-forget via active radar homing.
- Currently integrated on Su-30MKI (IAF primary platform) and Indian Navy aircraft.
- Indonesia's Air Force operates Su-30MKI, enabling direct platform compatibility with Astra Mk-1.
- The missile's "single-shot probability of kill" has been validated in Indian Air Force testing, a key metric for export credibility.
- Astra Mk-2 (150–200+ km, dual-pulse motor) and Mk-3 (ramjet, ~300 km) are in development, creating a roadmap for future upgrades.
Export of Astra to Indonesia — a first for the missile — demonstrates that India's Atmanirbhar Bharat defence programme is now producing export-grade systems competitive with Western equivalents. It also creates strategic interoperability between the two air forces on a shared platform (Su-30MKI).
India's Defence Export Policy and MTCR Framework
India's defence exports have grown from ₹686 crore in FY 2013-14 to ₹23,622 crore in FY 2024-25 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India defence manufacturing initiatives. The policy framework — including Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 — has opened procurement to private sector firms and mandated indigenisation ratios. India joined the MTCR on 27 June 2016 as its 35th member, which is critical for missile exports: MTCR members agree to restrict exports of Category I missiles (range >300 km, payload >500 kg) to non-members, but can export to partner states after internal review.
Key Details
- Government target: ₹50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029.
- Private sector contributes ~60% of current defence exports; public sector (DPSUs) ~40%.
- Key exported platforms: BrahMos, Akash SAM, Pinaka MBRL, Dornier-228, advanced towed artillery guns.
- India has defence cooperation agreements with 80+ countries; exports to 85+ countries.
- The government has approved a negative import list (indigenisation list) of 509 items that can only be procured domestically, pushing manufacturers toward export.
The BrahMos and Astra deals are the most visible realisation of India's strategic aim to become a top-10 global arms exporter — moving from a net importer (India was historically the world's largest arms importer) to an emerging exporter of complete weapon systems.
- India-Indonesia CSP established: May 2018
- BrahMos Aerospace JV incorporated: 5 December 1995; India 50.5%, Russia 49.5%
- BrahMos first test: 12 June 2001; entered Indian Navy service: 2005
- BrahMos export range: ~290 km; speed: ~Mach 2.8–3; warhead: up to 300 kg
- India joined MTCR: 27 June 2016 (35th member)
- Philippines first BrahMos export buyer: 2022
- Astra Mk-1 first test: 4 May 2014; BDL production contract: ₹2,971 crore
- Astra Mk-1 range: ~110 km (high-altitude); speed: ~Mach 4+
- India defence exports FY 2024-25: ₹23,622 crore (vs ₹686 crore in FY 2013-14)
- India exports defence equipment to 85+ countries