India’s arms sector eyes pivotal breakthrough with UAE: ‘confidence booster’
A UAE order for BrahMos missiles would ‘validate Indian weapons in a highly competitive market’, analysts say
Talks also include the potential sale of Akashteer, India’s automated air-defence command-and-control system, according to a Reuters report from June 22.
No deal has been signed and discussions remain at an early stage, but analysts say a UAE order would carry symbolic and strategic weight for India as it tries to shift from being one of the world’s biggest arms buyers to a more serious exporter of weapons and defence equipment.
BrahMos, jointly developed by India and Russia, is a supersonic cruise missile launchable from land, sea or air that can travel at up to Mach 3.
“For India, this is a big confidence booster. It accelerates the shift from being a top arms buyer to a growing exporter, strengthens ties with a key Gulf partner and shows the world that Indian systems are combat-proven and worth buying,” said A.B. Shivane, a former lieutenant general in the Indian army.
Shivane said the UAE appeared interested in a wider basket of Indian equipment, including Akash surface-to-air missiles, Pinaka rocket systems, precision-guided munitions and drones for naval or coastal defence.