NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the export of Akash Missile System aiming to achieve the target of USD 5 billion of defence export and improve strategic relations with friendly foreign countries.
Taking to Twitter Rajnath Singh wrote, “Under the #AtmaNirbharBharat, India is growing in its capabilities of manufacturing a wide variety of Defence platforms and missiles.”
However, the missile version of Akash to be exported will be different from the system indicted into the Indian armed forces. Defence Minister Singh highlighted that the missile system has over 96 per cent indigenous components.
The government's approval will allow Indian manufactures to participate in the request for interest (RFI) and request for purchase (RFP) issued by various countries. So far, Indian defence exports included the minor parts and components among other things. In the recent past, many friendly countries had shown interest in various systems and platforms exhibited at national and international exhibitions.
Besides Akash, the friendly nations have also shown interest in other major indigenous platforms, such as the coastal surveillance system, radars and aerial platforms.
In order to streamline the process of approvals, a committee comprising the defence minister, external affairs minister and the national security advisor has been formed.
This committee is entrusted with the authority to approve subsequent exports of major indigenous platforms to various countries. The committee would also explore other options like sale of weapon platforms via the government-to-government route to spruce up the export.
Akash, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization is a surface-to-air missile which can hit targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles, drones and other aerial assets to the range of 25km. The missile was inducted into Indian Air Force in 2014 and in the Indian Army in 2015.