Philippines to simulate BrahMos strike in Balikatan drills; China warns of rising tensions

The Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise missile will be used in a simulated maritime strike by the Philippines during the ongoing Balikatan 2026 exercises with the United States, even as China warned that such military activity could fuel division and trigger confrontation in the Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines touts the BrahMos as its “most powerful weapon in its arsenal”, the Philippines News Agency reported. The PNA, citing state officials, said the missile system will take part in a “simulation firing” during joint maritime strike drills in Northern Luzon, replicating real combat conditions without launching an actual missile. “The BrahMos of the Coastal…