Wednesday 24 / June / 2026
The United Arab Emirates is reportedly in discussions with India to acquire the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and potentially the Akashteer air defence system, as Abu Dhabi accelerates defence modernization efforts following recent regional tensions involving Iran.
The BrahMos missile, jointly developed by India and Russia, remains one of the world's fastest operational cruise missiles, capable of sustained speeds of around Mach 2.8–3.0. Any export to the UAE would require Russian approval due to Moscow's role in the programme and the extensive use of Russian technology in its development.
Military analysts note that the BrahMos is heavily derived from Russia's P-800 Oniks cruise missile, inheriting key design features including its ramjet propulsion system, supersonic flight profile, aerodynamic configuration and launch architecture. The missile's ability to maintain high speeds throughout most of its flight makes interception significantly more challenging than with conventional subsonic cruise missiles.
A major advantage of the BrahMos in export markets is that it is produced in India rather than Russia, allowing countries aligned with Western partners to acquire a weapon system based on Russian technology without directly purchasing Russian arms. This has already enabled exports to countries such as the Philippines, which has faced political constraints on procuring military equipment directly from Moscow.
For the UAE, ground-launched BrahMos batteries could provide a powerful long-range precision strike capability against targets across the Gulf region, complementing existing air-launched weapons such as the SCALP cruise missile. While an air-launched BrahMos variant is operated by the Indian Air Force on Su-30MKI fighters, integration on the UAE's F-16E/F Desert Falcon and Mirage 2000-5 fleets would be difficult due to the missile's large size and weight.
The reported negotiations also underscore growing defence ties between India and the United Arab Emirates, with New Delhi increasingly positioning itself as a major defence exporter in the Middle East and beyond.
