Four Indian sources told Reuters that the Indian government is in negotiations with the UAE to sell some of its showpiece defense systems, such as the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, as the Gulf state increases its acquisition of weapons in the wake of the Middle East conflict.
According to two people with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke to Reuters, the talks involve the possible sale of India's air defense system Akashteer. "The UAE has shown interest for a number of our weapon systems, including BrahMos and Akashteer." A third source with firsthand knowledge of the situation told Reuters that negotiations between India and the UAE are just getting started but are moving quickly.
Requests for comment were not answered by the UAE foreign ministry or Indian officials.While Akashteer is a completely automated air defense system created by India's state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd. and the Indian Army, BrahMos, which was jointly developed by Russia and India, is one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world and can be launched from land, sea, and air platforms.
After being extensively targeted by Iran during the conflict, the UAE is thinking of purchasing defense equipment from India and other suppliers to improve its capacity to counter new threats. Additionally, it must safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, which is an essential route for its petroleum exports.
A memorandum of agreement worth over $35 billion was struck earlier this year by the UAE and South Korea to strengthen defense cooperation.

"A diverse supplier base gives the UAE more strategic autonomy, and closer ties with India have the added benefit of not antagonizing the U.S. as the countries remain allies," Pearl Pandya, senior analyst for South Asia at Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a conflict monitoring organization, told Reuters.
The United States supplied 54% of imports to the Middle East between 2021 and 2025, followed by Italy at 12% and France at 11%, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Since the 290-km (180-mile) range missile is jointly developed, India will need Russia's clearance before finalizing any BrahMos sale to the UAE. Given Moscow's longstanding links to Abu Dhabi, this is unlikely to be a challenge, according to one source.Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with SIPRI's weapons transfers program, stated that although while the UAE has experience with other suppliers and worldwide competition to sell Gulf states weaponry was growing, both the BrahMos missile and the Akashteer system might potentially meet the UAE's needs.

closer relations between the UAE and India
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the UAE already possesses the 300-kilometer-range U.S. MGM-168 ATACMS ballistic missile. It has the advanced American THAAD and Patriot systems for air defense.
According to defense experts, Akashteer would assist in combining data from many sensors to counter an air attack.Wezeman stated that future sales to the UAE and other Gulf states were possible, despite India's history of reported arms export agreements that did not always work out.
In recent years, India and the UAE have developed closer connections, which have resulted in a number of trade and energy agreements as well as an agreement to build military gear together.
According to two Indian government officials, the negotiations to sell India's flagship weapons systems are another proof of shifting regional allegiances, and India views its growing alliance as a reaction to the recent defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

"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," Pandya told Reuters. "Expanded defence ties between India and the UAE essentially serve as form of strategic signalling, allowing both countries to showcase the strength and depth of their partnerships," she said.
India's defense exports are increasing
According to two Indian sources, the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan last year, during which India utilized weaponry, including BrahMos, for the first time in combat, attracted interest from foreign buyers.
Since then, agreements have been made for India to export the BrahMos to Indonesia and Vietnam. According to the two sources, Thailand, South Africa, Brazil, and Chile have also expressed interest in it.Emails requesting response were not answered by those nations' embassies in New Delhi.
The BrahMos were only previously sold to the Philippines in 2022.
According to the Indian government, defense exports from India increased from just $7.26 million in 2013–14 to over $4 billion in the year ending in March 2026.
According to SIPRI, India is the second-largest purchaser of weapons worldwide, making up more than 8% of all arms imports.BrahMos is a joint venture between Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) and India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
The Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River in Russia are the sources of the missile's name.The two-stage supersonic cruise missile can be launched from air, sea, land, and submarine platforms. In order to reach supersonic speed, it first requires a solid-fuel booster. During the cruise phase, a liquid-fuel ramjet engine propels it to speeds of up to Mach 2.8.
BrahMos, which were built on the "fire-and-forget" philosophy, are capable of attacking both land and marine targets. It is renowned for its great speed, accuracy, and low-altitude terminal flight profile, which make interception challenging. It is equipped with a conventional warhead.
The missile is currently used in several Indian military units and continues to be one of the country's most important defense export opportunities as New Delhi looks to increase its market share in the international defense industry.