BRASILLA, July 8 : Brazil has dropped plans to buy the Akash air defence missiles from India and is negotiating with Italy for a more advanced system, a report said today, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Brasilia for a bilateral state visit.
The Rio Times, quoting government sources, said that the move to drop plans to buy the Akash defence system “shows that Brazil will work with Western suppliers when it benefits its own interests, even if it means turning away from BRICS partners like India”.
Brazil’s military has been seeking to upgrade its aging air defence, which can only shoot down threats up to 3,000 meters high.
Indian companies offered the Akash missile system, but Brazil’s military “found it outdated compared to what’s available from other countries”, the daily said.
“The Akash system, while used by India, did not meet Brazil’s demand for longer-range and modern technology.”
Brazil is now in talks with Italy to buy the EMADS system from MBDA, a leading European arms company. The EMADS system uses the CAMM missile, which can defend against aircraft, drones, and missiles at higher altitudes and over longer distances, the daily said.
The potential deal could be worth up to 5 billion reais, or about US$900 million.
Brazil had also tried to tie the Akash missile deal with India to sales of its Embraer KC-390 military cargo planes, but those talks stalled.
Officials are now considering a similar offer with Italy, hoping to boost Brazil’s own defence industry. “This shift highlights Brazil’s practical approach to defence,” the paper noted.
The country wants the best technology at the best price, no matter if it comes from BRICS allies or Western countries. Brazil has also looked at systems from Israel, Germany, and the US, showing it is open to any supplier that meets its needs.
This is a clear sign that for Brazil, hard advantages and technology matter more than political alliances.
(UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
