US, Armenia and France among top buyers of Indian defence exports

File Image

The France, Armenia and US have emerged as the top three destinations for defence exports by India. The three countries, according to a report by TOI, chalked up military sales worth Rs 21,083 crore ($2.6 billion) to other countries in 2023-24.

Indian public and private sector companies are exporting lethal arms to around 100 countries. These include BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Dornier-228 aircraft, artillery guns, radars, Akash missiles, Pinaka rockets, and armoured vehicles.

Former Soviet Republic of Armenia has emerged as the biggest client of 'finished' weapon systems like Akash air defence missile systems, Pinaka multi-launch rocket systems and 155mm artillery guns, according to TOI report.

Meanwhile, the exports to the US mainly consist of sub-systems and components for global defence majors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. These companies, it is learnt, have sourced fuselage, wings, and other parts of aircraft and helicopters to India as part of their global supply chain networks.

The Tata Boeing Aerospace venture based in Hyderabad is making the fuselage and secondary structures for Apache attack helicopters. France is importing a lot of software and electronic equipment, according to the report.

Armenia has signed a number of agreements with India over the last four years for the import of missiles, artillery guns, weapon-locating radars, rocket systems, bullet-proof vests, and night-vision equipment. A wide variety of ammunition and artillery shells are also being exported to the country, according to the report. Some of these defence pacts were reportedly signed during Armenia's wat with Azerbaijan — a key ally of Turkey and Pakistan — over Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to TOI, Brazil has shown willingness on co-production and co-development of advanced versions of weapon system.

The Union government  has also been approached by Asean countries and as well as some Gulf nations in acquiring the BrahMos missiles, which India has co-developed with Russia. The request for the precision-strike missiles gained ground after India clinched the $375-million contract in Jan 2022 with Philippines for three BrahMos anti-ship coastal missile batteries.