BrahMos, ammo & more: A look at weapons India exports

India is on a path to make its defence sector ‘self-reliant’. To achieve this goal, New Delhi has cut back on arms imports in the last few years, besides taking steps to boost its defence exports. India has set a target to more than triple its annual defence exports to Rs 35,000 crores by 2024-25. The country’s defence exports broke records in the financial year 2022-23, touching nearly Rs 16,000 crore mark, according to the Ministry of Defence. “With a 23-fold increase in exports, Indian design and development capabilities are reaching over 85 countries,” the ministry said last year. Let’s take a look at how India has increased its defence exports. India’s defence exports India’s military exports have seen a significant surge in the last few years. These exports include missiles, artillery guns, rockets, armoured vehicles, offshore patrol vessels, personal protective gear, different radars, surveillance systems and ammunition, according to a Hindustan Times (HT) report. As per the defence ministry data, India has exported bullet-proof jackets to 34 countries including Australia, Japan, Israel and Brazil. About 10 countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Indonesia and Thailand, have purchased ammunition (ranging between 5.56mm to 155mm) from India. Defence electronics have been acquired by the United States, the United Kingdom and France, while India has exported fast interceptor boats to Mauritius, Seychelles and the Maldives, HT reported citing the defence ministry data. Last December, India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said it was in talks with at least three countries to sell its indigenous Tejas multirole combat jets. While the talks with Nigeria were at an early stage, the plan was to sell 15 light-combat aircraft to Argentina and 20 to Egypt, HAL Chief Managing Director CB Ananthkrishnan said at the time, as per Deccan Herald. The Philippines, the US, Australia and Indonesia have also expressed interest in Tejas LCA, a single-engine multi-role fighter jet. Armenia is one of India’s top weapons importer of Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM). As per Sputnik News, India started supplying defence equipment to the Asian country in 2022 amid Armenia’s protracted conflict with Azerbaijan. [caption id=“attachment_13733142” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Indian soldiers display “Akash” missiles during the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, 23 January 2009. Reuters File Photo[/caption] New Delhi will also export the indigenous Akash anti-air system to Armenia, Economic Times (ET) reported last December. The delivery, which was a part of a Rs 6,000-crore deal, of the Bharat Dynamics Limited-manufactured system was to start soon. In September 2022, India signed a deal to export several weapons, including Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL), anti-tank missiles, rockets and ammunition, to Armenia. Last August, Armenia received its initial shipment of India’s Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS). Indian defence firm Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited will supply artillery guns to Armenia for the 155mm weapon system by 2025. India has also offered the Defence Research and Development Organisation-developed Akash missile air defence system for export to Vietnam and the Philippines, while Egypt has also shown interest. BrahMos cruise missiles, Varunastra (Water Weapon) anti-submarine torpedoes, and coastal radars have also been offered by New Delhi to Vietnam, as per The EurAsian Times. In January, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Samir V Kamat said India would supply the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines by March. This is the first export order for the missile jointly developed by India and Russia. ALSO READ: From LCH Prachand to INS Vikrant, how ‘Make in India’ defence is transforming the nation India’s defence export and import India’s defence exports have witnessed a sharp rise in recent years, with a 23-fold jump between 2013-14 and 2022-23 – from Rs 686 crore to Rs 15,918 crore, HT reported citing the defence ministry data. During this period, India has also reduced spending on imported weapons and systems, from 46 per cent in 2018-19 to 36.7 per cent in December 2022. [caption id=“attachment_13733152” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Army officers stand on Indian Army’s Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system during a rehearsal for Republic Day parade in Kolkata, India, 20 January 2017. Reuters File Photo[/caption] In fact, India’s defence exports rose tenfold in the last six years, Mint reported in April 2023. However, New Delhi is still far from its goal of achieving annual export target of Rs 35,000 crore by next year. Moreover, India remains the top importer of defence supplies globally. According to a report released last year by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Sweden-based research institute on global security, Russia is India’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 45 per cent of its shipments. From 2018 and 2022, France emerged as India’s second largest arms importers, replacing the US. India’s share in arms exports was not much significant during the period with the country not even in the top 25 nations of defence suppliers, as per the SIPRI report. India has taken measures to become self-reliant in defence, including phased bans on the import of weapons. Its aim is to achieve a turnover of Rs 1.75 lakh crore in defence manufacturing by 2025. While New Delhi is still far from its defence export target, experts believe the country can reach the milestone, reported HT. With inputs from agencies