Vietnam has expressed interest in purchasing the BrahMos missile from India and is seeking faster deliveries. It has conveyed its preference for the shore-based anti-ship variant to bolster its coastal defence capabilities in the South China Sea.Sources said discussions were expected to gain momentum when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Vietnam’s President To Lam, who arrived in India on a three-day visit on Tuesday.India has already supplied the BrahMos missile to the Philippines and finalised a deal with Indonesia earlier this year.Vietnam and the Philippines are among the five countries locked in a maritime territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.Sources indicate the India-Vietnam Brahmos deal could be worth $630 million and the package would likely include the missile systems, specialised training for Vietnamese personnel and long-term logistical support.Sources say a formal contract signing may not occur immediately, as final technical and financial calibrations are still being processed.For India, the sale is a cornerstone of its “Act East” policy, aimed at strengthening the defence capabilities of partner nations in the Indo-Pacific.Defence relations between the two countries have been warming steadily; India gifted the missile corvette ‘Kirpan’ to the Vietnamese Navy in 2023 and has been providing extensive submarine and fighter jet training to their forces.In November last year, both countries signed a ‘letter of intent’ on strengthening defence industry cooperation to promote transfer of technology, prioritise high-tech and core-technology domains, joint cooperation in research, joint ventures, procurement of equipment and materials for defence production.“They exchanged views on strengthening the multifaceted comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.Capable of both coastal defence and ground attack besides anti-ship roles, the BrahMos is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world that flies at three times the speed of sound. It is the product of a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya in 1998.National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Lam today. “They exchanged views on strengthening the multifaceted comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.