Geopolitics often throws up unusual paradoxes, and one has just emerged in the Indo-Pacific. The navies and marine forces of the US and the Philippines have trained together to defend the Southeast Asian nation’s coastal waters by simulating the use of the BrahMos anti-ship missile.The BrahMos is a supersonic anti-ship missile jointly developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya. The Philippines procured the missile from India under a $375-million deal signed in 2022.“US and Philippine Marines are training to defend against maritime strike rehearsals that simulate the use of recently acquired BrahMos anti-ship missiles,” USNI News reported. USNI News is published by the United States Naval Institute, an independent organisation founded in 1873.The exercise is significant because it involves the integration of a Russian-origin missile system into efforts aimed at countering potential threats in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. It also highlights the unusual situation of US forces training alongside a partner military operating a weapon system jointly developed with Russia and supplied by India.In an era marked by sanctions on Russia, US legislative restrictions on Russian military equipment and Washington’s efforts to reduce allied dependence on Moscow’s defence industry, the scenario unfolded last month at a remote outpost in northern Luzon in the Philippines.Luzon faces the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed maritime feature claimed by both Manila and Beijing.The Pentagon released images of the drills, showing personnel from both countries training to establish a “kill chain” using notional drones and ground-based anti-ship missiles against simulated maritime targets. The US-Philippine training was conducted as part of an exercise called the Archipelagic Coastal Defence Continuum.The drill comes amid China’s increasingly assertive posture in the South China Sea. One component of the exercise involved Philippine Air Force Hermes drones tracking a surface action group in support of a simulated BrahMos missile strike.The simulated targets included two Type 052D guided-missile destroyers, a Type 054A frigate and a Type 901 fast combat support ship. These classes of vessels are currently in service with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and frequently operate in the South China Sea.Such warships have been involved in several incidents near Scarborough Shoal in recent months.The exercise is also helping Philippine missile batteries develop the procedures and tactics required to operate the Indian-made BrahMos. Capable of travelling at nearly three times the speed of sound and carrying a 400-pound warhead, the shore-based BrahMos significantly enhances the Philippines’ coastal defence capabilities.Capt MacKenzie Margroum, spokesperson for Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, was quoted by USNI News as saying: “Training gives insight into how our Philippine counterparts approach maritime defence within the unique geography and operating environment.”The bilateral effort forms part of Washington’s broader strategy to strengthen the alliance’s long-range strike capabilities against potential adversarial naval forces operating near Philippine waters. The two countries have increasingly focused their joint exercises on coastal defence and maritime security.