Author: Mr Aayush Parekh, Research Intern, CAPSS
Keywords: BrahMos Missile, India, Russia, United Arab Emirates, West Asia
Introduction
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is poised to become the first Gulf country to acquire the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, marking a potential milestone in the jointly developed project by India and Russia.1 After three successful deals with the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, BrahMos Aerospace has formally presented its missile system and submitted a detailed proposal to Abu Dhabi, which is under consideration.2 This is a potential moment for BrahMos Aerospace to leave its footprint in West Asia. This article analyses the strategic motivations of both New Delhi and Abu Dhabi and the broader implications for India’s defence exports in West Asia, along with Russia’s role in this joint-venture deal.
Background
This is not the first time that India has made a defence deal with a West Asian nation. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest buyers of Indian ammunition in the region, and it previously signed an agreement worth USD 225 million for defence ammunition.3 Meanwhile, India has the most defence Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with Oman compared with other West Asian nations.4 Even the UAE has signed an agreement with India for joint production of drones, missiles, and naval platforms in May 2026.5
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russian NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPOM). It is one of the world’s fastest cruise missiles; capable of flying at the speed of ~Mach 2.8 and with a range of 290 km. Named after two prominent rivers in India and Russia, Brahmaputra and Moskva, respectively, BrahMos is designed for launching precision strikes from all three domains: air, land, and sea.6 The BrahMos is a versatile weapon system, renowned for its speed, accuracy, and survivability against modern air defence systems, which was evident during India’s Operation Sindoor in 2025.
BrahMos Aerospace’s formal proposal to supply supersonic cruise missiles to the UAE signals a shift toward substantive defence-industrial engagement. If BrahMos Aerospace successfully closes the deal with the UAE, it will open the Gulf market for high-value Indian defence systems, cementing India’s strategic presence in West Asia, especially after the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.7
Why is Abu Dhabi Interested in BrahMos?
The deal is a part of official talks between both countries for selling some of India’s flagship defence systems, which occurred in July 2026, amid the war in West Asia.8 BrahMos is not the only Indian equipment the UAE is focusing on; the Gulf nation is also interested in India’s Akashteer air defence system as well.9 The probable reason why Abu Dhabi is looking to add some serious firepower to its arsenal with the BrahMos missile is due to emerging threats from Iran, especially after the UAE was attacked by Iran during the ongoing war in West Asia.10 The BrahMos is one of the few missiles capable of striking both maritime and land targets, with speed and precision. This combination gives the UAE an unmatched strike option against Iran or any other regional threat.
The significance of BrahMos for Abu Dhabi is clear because the country already operates advanced American defence systems, including Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) and Patriot.11 This is because BrahMos offers long-range launch capabilities. The UAE is located at the doorstep of the Strait of Hormuz, which is under constant threat due to ongoing dynamics. Therefore, the question for Abu Dhabi is not about an addition to its arsenal but about developing an architecture that can mitigate such threats.
Implications for India
The Indian defence exports have already been increasing over the past decade. According to official figures, exports reached a new all-time high of INR 38,424 crore (more than USD 4 billion) in the financial year 2025-26.12 Compared with financial year 2024-25, exports were just INR 23,622 crore (~USD 2.5 billion).13 During Operation Sindoor, when India used its weapon systems, including BrahMos, it sparked interest among other countries in buying BrahMos. Since then, India has signed deals to sell the BrahMos to Vietnam and Indonesia and has also received interest from Thailand, South Africa, Brazil, and Chile.14 The BrahMos has now become one of the flagship symbols of India’s ambition to become a major and credible defence exporter, transitioning from ‘Make in India’ to ‘Make for the World’.15
India and the UAE are expanding their relationship across trade, investment, energy, technology, defence, and the digital economy.16 The BrahMos deal would deepen this strategic partnership amid rapidly changing security architecture in West Asia. This deal will also signal to the world that India is not only a major economic power but also a supplier of sophisticated defence technologies and a reliable Gulf partner. One of the major challenges will be to balance technology transfer sensitivities and navigate regional fault lines, particularly in the case of Iran.17
Role of Moscow
The BrahMos missile is manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace, which is a joint venture with an authorised capital of USD 300 million in the ratio of 50.5 per cent from the Indian side and 49.5 per cent from the Russian side.18 Hence, approval from Moscow also becomes an important aspect before closing any deal for this 290 km-range missile. Given the close and growing ties between Moscow and Abu Dhabi across diplomacy, trade, and investment, it is unlikely to pose any hurdles for India to close the deal. 19
Additionally, BrahMos is one of the most successful military collaborations between India and Russia, and with every international sale, Moscow gains royalties. Therefore, every approval benefits both parties in this joint venture, as shown by previous sales to the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Furthermore, looking at the sanctions imposed on Russia from Western nations due to the Ukraine war, the West Asian countries are one of the financial safe havens for Russian trade and investments.
Conclusion
As Abu Dhabi looks to expand its defence partnerships apart from countries like the United States, Italy and France, the jointly developed BrahMos cruise missile by India and Russia has caught the attention in the global defence market. The Philippines became the first foreign country to purchase the BrahMos cruise missile in 2022. Since then, India has signed BrahMos deals with Indonesia and Vietnam as of August 2026. Now India looks to make BrahMos enter the Gulf market with the UAE as the first potential buyer. India and the UAE are significantly expanding their relations, and a BrahMos deal will deepen this tie amid rapidly changing security architecture in West Asia.
For India, the deal will support its broader defence export initiatives, proving that its indigenous platforms can compete in demanding international markets. The deal, likely to be supported by Russia, underscores the deepening India-UAE partnership and heralds India’s arrival as a consequential defence exporter on the global stage.
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