Union cabinet approves export of Akash Surface to Air Missile System for the first time
In a big boost to the AtmaNirbhar Bharat campaign, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the export of the Akash Missile System for the first time, and a committee for faster approvals has also been created. Akash is one of the most important missiles in the Indian defence arsenal with over 96 percent indigenous components and has a range of 25 KM. However, the export version of the missile will be different from the System currently deployed with the Indian Armed Forces. So far, Indian defence exports included only the small parts or components and the export of big platforms was minimal. The decision taken by the Union Cabinet will help India improve its defence products while also making them globally competitive. The government of India aims to focus on exporting high-value defence platforms, to achieve a target of $5 Billion in defence exports, and improve the strategic relations with friendly foreign countries.
