India in talks to sell BrahMos missile, Akashteer air defence system to the UAE, sources say

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Published - June 22, 2026 09:55 pm IST - NEW DELHI A file image of the Indian Army's BrahMos missile launcher. | Photo Credit: Reuters The Indian government is in talks with the UAE to sell some of its flagship defence systems, including the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, four Indian sources said, as the Gulf nation steps up arms procurement following the war in the West Asia. The discussions, which have not been previously reported, include the potential sale of India’s air defence system Akashteer, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. “The UAE has shown interest for a number of our weapon systems including BrahMos and Akashteer. The talks between India and UAE are at initial stages and are progressing fast,” said a third source with direct knowledge of the matter. Indian officials and the UAE Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. BrahMos, jointly developed by India and Russia, is among the world’s fastest cruise missiles and can be launched from land, sea and air platforms, while Akashteer is a fully automated air defence system developed by India’s state-run Bharat Electronics Limited and the Indian Army. The UAE is considering buying defence equipment from India and other sources after the Gulf nation was heavily attacked by Iran during the conflict in West Asia, and as it enhances its ability to respond to emerging threats. It also needs to protect the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for its energy exports. Earlier this year, the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korea to promote defence cooperation that would be worth more than $35 billion. “A diversified supplier base gives the UAE more strategic autonomy, and closer ties with India have the added benefit of not antagonising the U.S. as the countries remain allies,” Pearl Pandya, South Asia senior analyst at Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a conflict monitoring group. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the U.S. was the biggest exporter of arms to the West Asia between 2021 and 2025, supplying 54% of imports, followed by Italy at 12%, and France at 11%. Before clinching any BrahMos sale to the UAE, India would require Russia’s approval, as the 290 km-range missile is jointly developed. One source said this is unlikely to pose a hurdle given Moscow’s close ties with Abu Dhabi. Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with SIPRI’s arms transfers programme, said both the BrahMos missile and Akashteer system would potentially serve the UAE’s needs, even if international competition to sell Gulf states arms was increasing and the UAE had experience with other suppliers. The UAE already has the U.S. MGM-168 ATACMS ballistic missile, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which has a maximum range of 300 km. For air defence, it has the sophisticated U.S. THAAD and Patriot systems. Akashteer would help knit together information from other devices to combat an air threat, defence experts said. While India had a track record of reports of arms export deals that did not always bear fruit, Mr. Wezeman said upcoming sales to the UAE and other Gulf states were possible. Closer ties between India and the UAE in recent years have led to a flurry of deals on trade and energy, and a pact to jointly develop military hardware. The talks to sell India’s flagship weapons systems is further evidence of changing alignments in the region, and India sees its deepening partnership as a counter to the recent defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, according to two Indian government sources. “The growing ties must also be understood against the backdrop of wider regional geopolitical dynamics, in particular the competition between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi for regional leadership,” Ms. Pandya said. “Expanded defence ties between India and the UAE essentially serve as a form of strategic signalling, allowing both countries to showcase the strength and depth of their partnerships,” she added. Last year’s four-day war between India and Pakistan, when

India in talks to sell BrahMos missile, Akashteer air defence system to the UAE, sources say

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