Brazil Rejects Indian-Made Akash Air Defense System

Defence affairs analysis

In what is described as a disappointing decision for the Indian defense industry, Brazil has reportedly suspended negotiations to acquire the Akash air defense system after being said to be dissatisfied with the missile's performance.

Instead, the Latin American country chose to negotiate with European defense conglomerate MBDA to acquire the Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solutions (EMADS) air defense system.

As reported, the Brazilian Army is negotiating a contract worth nearly US$1 billion to acquire the EMADS air defense system, which is equipped with the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile –Extended Range (CAMM-ER) missile.

The CAMM-ER missile is capable of hitting targets as far as 40km compared to the Akash missile which is capable of hitting targets as far as 25km to 30km.

Indian media quoted the Rio Times as saying that Brazil found the Akash air defense system "inadequate" in defending against attacks by high and low-speed aircraft, drones and missiles.

Meanwhile, the EMADS air defense system has attracted the attention of the Brazilian military due to its proven performance in its use by NATO member countries.

The British Army has been using the EMADS air defence system since 2018 under the Land Ceptor programme.

The European Modular Air Defence System (EMADS) is a modern medium-range air defence system developed by European defence industry giant, MBDA, to meet the tactical needs of 21st century ground forces.

The EMADS concept is designed based on the principle of modularity, allowing each component to be adapted according to a country's mission, threats and operational needs.

EMADS makes the CAMM-ER (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile-Extended Range) missile the backbone of the entire system, providing flexibility to repel aerial threats including fighter jets, helicopters, drones and cruise missiles.

A major advantage of EMADS is its '360-degree coverage' capability, where the vertical launch of the CAMM allows the system to attack targets from any direction without having to turn the launcher or vehicle.