Egypt evaluates India's Akash surface-to-air missile system.

Egypt is considering India's Akash missile system, a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile product of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The defense relationship between Egypt and India is already strong, encompassing military sales, training, and technical knowledge transfer. The two nations frequently participate in joint military exercises and port visits by their naval and air forces. This interest from Egypt comes at a time when India is actively promoting its indigenous military equipment on the global stage, with defense exports reaching a record of about $2.2 billion in the fiscal year 2022-2023.
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The Akash is a mobile surface-to-air missile system in service since 2009 with the Indian Army (Picture source: Bharat Dynamics Ltd)

The defense ties were further strengthened following the visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to New Delhi in January 2023. President El-Sisi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed enhancing military collaboration and the sale of Indian-made weapons. During this visit, President El-Sisi awarded Prime Minister Modi the highest Egyptian state honor, the "Order of the Nile," and was the guest of honor at India's Republic Day celebrations.

Moreover, these ties were reinforced when Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Egyptian counterpart, General Mohamed Zaki, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Cairo in September 2022, aimed at strengthening bilateral defense cooperation.

The Akash is a mobile surface-to-air missile system in service since 2009 and used by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Armenian Armed Forces. The Akash was designed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited. Each unit costs about 2.5 crore Indian rupees, approximately $500,000, and since 2009, over 3,500 missiles have been built.

The Akash system includes several variants, such as Akash 1S, Akash Prime, and Akash-NG. These missiles weigh 720 kg and are 578 cm long, with a diameter ranging between 30 and 35 cm. They are equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 60 kg and are triggered by a radio proximity fuze. The missile is propelled by a solid booster with an air-augmented rocket and a ramjet sustainer motor, using solid fuel.

The Akash has an operational range of 25 to 30 km and can reach a flight altitude of 18 km, with a flight ceiling of 20 km. Its maximum speed varies between Mach 1.8 and 2.5. For guidance, the system uses a combination of command guidance with data link in mid-course and active radar homing in the terminal phase.

The Akash missile system is one of India's most successful defense exports. Countries like Armenia have already purchased it, while others like Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have shown interest. India aims to increase its defense exports to $5 billion by 2025, with Egypt potentially being a significant buyer of more Indian-made defense equipment.

India's strategy in the arms market is to compete with major players like Russia and China by focusing on selling its locally produced weapons to African countries. These nations often find Western-made equipment unaffordable. India's success in this sector is evident, and it aims to become a significant player in the African arms market.

India offers a wide range of weapons and defense systems, from small arms to sophisticated aircraft, at a fraction of the cost of their Western counterparts. This affordability, coupled with reliable maintenance and support, makes Indian defense products an attractive choice for African nations.

In addition to the Akash missile system, Egypt has also shown interest in other Indian-made defense products, such as the Akash NG (New Generation) air defense system and the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW). However, Egypt has chosen the Korean T-50 trainer aircraft over the Indian LCA-Tejas for local production. India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is still in talks with Egypt and Argentina for potential contracts for the Tejas LCA Mk-1A.

Furthermore, Egypt is exploring options to modernize its air defense capabilities, showing interest in the MBDA CAMM air defense missile system. This system offers advanced features for detecting, tracking, guiding, and intercepting multiple threats simultaneously, enhancing Egypt's defense capabilities.