KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed that Malaysia is exploring the possibility of acquiring India’s BrahMos air-to-surface missile system.
In an interview with India’s NDTV, the Prime Minister stressed that discussions were still ongoing, although no final decision had been made so far.
He said the matter was discussed during a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, but that the authority to make the decision lies with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
“We have discussed it, but generally my position is that the relevant departments or agencies, those with expertise in the air force, should continue the discussions.
“They have held preliminary discussions and I told Prime Minister Modi that I strongly support this because these relations are built on trust and we want to strengthen them in all areas,” he said.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, acknowledged India’s defence capabilities.
BrahMos is a long-range, supersonic ramjet-powered cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, fighter aircraft or mobile Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL) systems.
It is a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, which together established BrahMos Aerospace.
The Prime Minister arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modern diplomatic relations between Putrajaya and New Delhi were established in 1957, shortly after Malaysia gained independence, and India remains Malaysia’s largest trading partner in South Asia, with bilateral trade reaching US$18.55 billion (RM79.33 billion) in 2025.
The working visit is expected to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between the two countries, while opening up new opportunities to expand high-impact cooperation, particularly in the economic, trade and investment, digital technology and education sectors. – 13 September 2026