Insta
India’s ‘Akash’ To Guard UAE Skies? Procurement of DRDO Missile By The Gulf Nation High On Agenda
Swarajya Staff
Oct 26, 2018, 05:31 PM | Updated 05:31 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
United Arab Emirates has shown interest in buying ‘Made in India’ Akash surface-to-air missile. The missile was high on agenda of the recently concluded visit of the high-level defence delegation of UAE, Financial Express has reported.
The Akash, which is meant to secure critical installations of armed forces can carry a 60 kg warhead to hit a target up to 30 km distance, is an indigenous missile developed by Defense Research and Development Organsation (DRDO) and is being manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
As per the report, UAE Minister of State for Defence Affairs Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi Al Falacy led the delegation which was keen on buying the Akash missile.
Akash, if exported to UAE, will mark the first instance of such system being exported by India to any Gulf country.
India has tweaked its Defence Export Policy in order to enable exporting of various strategic platforms to countries which it sees as allies.
Indian Air Force (IAF) has already inducted the Akash system which is packed with a battery that can track and attack several targets at once.
Akash Missile can destroy manoeuvring targets like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), cruise missiles, helicopter-launched missiles, fighter aircraft and can be fired from both tracked and wheeled platforms.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.