India offers Akash air defence system to Brazil

NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday offered the indigenous Akash air defence missile system to Brazil, even as the two countries decided to bolster their defence cooperation as well as explore opportunities for co-development and co-production of weapon systems and platforms.

The progress of ongoing defence-related bilateral initiatives, with identification of priority areas for joint work, was reviewed in the meeting between defence minister Rajnath Singh and visiting Brazilian vice president Geraldo Alckmin and defence minister José Múcio Monteiro Filho here.

“India and Brazil share a strategic partnership. The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to advance defence cooperation focusing on military-to-military exchanges, including joint exercises and training visits,” an official said.

India has offered the Akash system, which can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters and drones at a range of 25-km, as well as the Pinaka multi-launch rocket systems and BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to “friendly countries”, especially in the Gulf and Asean regions .

While India has already exported BrahMos coastal batteries to the Philippines, Armenia has become the first foreign customer for the Akash, Pinaka and 155mm artillery guns.