In a major win for the Indian defence exports, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is reportedly in talks with India for the purchase of BrahMos missiles and other flagship air defence systems, including Akashteer. A Reuters report says that the UAE is looking at deepening defence relations with India after the war in West Asia.
“The UAE has shown interest in a number of our weapon systems, including BrahMos and Akashteer. The talks between India and the UAE are at initial stages and are progressing fast,” a source privy to the development told Reuters.
Notably, while Indian defence exports were already surging, the May 2025 conflict with Pakistan, wherein Indian indigenous air defence systems and jointly developed Indo-Russian weaponry were used to defeat Pakistan, has given a renewed momentum to India’s push for defence exports.
In response to Pakistani strikes, Indian armed forces activated the indigenously made Akashteer Air Defence System to intercept and destroy a wave of Pakistani missiles and drones. Dubbed as India’s Iron Dome, the made-in-India Akashteer Air Defence Control and Reporting System (ADCRS) is a command-and-control air defence platform.
In forward combat zones, it is intended to oversee ground-based air defence weaponry and oversee low-level airspace monitoring. It serves as India’s air defence network’s digital nerve centre, gathering data from various radars and sensors, such as AWACS and AEW&C platforms, and combining it into a unified operational picture. This allows for automated, real-time engagement decisions.
BrahMos is a long-range supersonic cruise missile. It is an unmanned payload rocket that has a warhead, precision-guided weaponry, an aerodynamic frame, a propulsion system and a guidance system. It is renowned for its exceptional accuracy. BrahMos has a solid propellant booster engine and is a two-stage missile. Its initial phase accelerates the missile over the speed of sound, or supersonic speed, before it separates. A BrahMos missile was utilised in strikes against Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
