UAE in talks to buy supersonic BrahMos missile from India

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UAE in talks to buy supersonic BrahMos missile from India: Reuters

June 22, 2026

NEW DELHI,— India is discussing possible sales of major defense systems to the United Arab Emirates, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, four Indian sources told Reuters.

The previously unreported talks also include the potential sale of the Akashteer air defense system, two sources with direct knowledge said.

A third source said the UAE has shown interest in several Indian weapons systems, including BrahMos and Akashteer.

Indian officials and the UAE foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

BrahMos, developed jointly by India and Russia, is among the world’s fastest cruise missiles and can be launched from land, sea and air platforms.

Akashteer is a fully automated air defense system developed by Bharat Electronics Ltd and the Indian Army.

The UAE is considering purchases from India and other suppliers as it strengthens its response to emerging threats after being heavily attacked by Iran during the war in the Middle East.

The Gulf nation also needs to protect the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for energy exports.

Pearl Pandya, South Asia senior analyst at Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, said a diversified supplier base gives the UAE greater strategic autonomy.

She said closer ties with India also avoid antagonizing the United States because the countries remain allies.

Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute showed the United States was the largest arms exporter to the Middle East between 2021 and 2025, supplying 54% of imports. Italy supplied 12% and France supplied 11%.

Any BrahMos sale would require Russian approval because the missile is jointly developed. One source said that was unlikely to be a problem given Moscow’s close ties with Abu Dhabi.

Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with SIPRI’s arms transfers programme, said BrahMos and Akashteer could meet UAE requirements despite increasing competition among countries seeking to sell weapons to Gulf states.

He said the UAE also has experience with other suppliers.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the UAE already operates the U.S. MGM-168 ATACMS ballistic missile, which has a maximum range of 300 km. Its air defense capabilities also include the U.S. THAAD and Patriot systems.

Defense experts said Akashteer could help connect information from other systems to counter air threats.

Wezeman said possible sales to the UAE and other Gulf countries remained achievable even though some reported Indian export deals had not resulted in completed transactions.

India and the UAE have expanded ties in recent years through agreements covering trade, energy and joint military hardware development.

Two Indian government sources said the weapons talks also reflect changing regional alignments.

They said India views its deeper partnership with the UAE as a counter to the recent defense pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Pandya said the growing relationship should also be viewed against wider regional geopolitical competition between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

She said expanded defense cooperation acts as strategic signaling and highlights the strength of bilateral ties.

Two Indian sources said foreign interest increased after last year’s four day war between India and Pakistan, when India used systems including BrahMos in combat for the first time.

Since then, India has signed agreements to sell BrahMos to Vietnam and Indonesia.

The sources said Thailand, South Africa, Brazil and Chile have also shown interest. Their embassies in New Delhi did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

The Philippines was the only earlier buyer of BrahMos, purchasing the missile in 2022.

Indian government data showed defense exports rose to more than $4 billion in the year ending March 2026 from $7.26 million in 2013-14.

SIPRI also identified India as the world’s second largest arms importer, accounting for more than 8% of global imports worldwide today at present sources said.

(With files from Reuters)