India, UAE officials hold meet to advance defence coop under strategic partnershipNEW DELHI: India and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday held a meeting here to advance the progress of defence cooperation under the strategic defence partnership framework, the defence ministry said.Co-chaired by joint secretary (international cooperation) Amitabh Prasad and UAE Brigadier Staff Jamal Ebrahim Mohamed Ebrahim Almar-Zooqi, the discussions focused on expanding defence industry collaboration, fostering innovation, leveraging niche technologies and enhancing maritime security, the ministry said in a post on X.While there is no official statement about UAE officials showing interest in buying made-in-India weapons, recent media reports said the Emirates is eyeing India’s BrahMos cruise missile and Akashteer missile defence system amid the West Asia conflict.While the world has witnessed the impact of BrahMos’ during Operation Sindoor, Akashteer is India’s automated air defence control and reporting system that intercepted and neutralised several inbound projectiles and served as the invisible defensive backbone during the same operation.The UAE, which witnessed scores of missile and drone attacks on its vital installations during the West Asia conflict, already has US MGM-168 ATACMS ballistic missile and sophisticated US THAAD and Patriot systems for air defence. If bought, India’s BrahMos and Akashteer will boost the UAE military’s offensive and defensive powers.Bilateral defence cooperation between India and the UAE has been steadily growing in consonance with other domains of the bilateral relationship. On Jan 19 this year, during the visit of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, both countries signed a letter of intent for finalising the strategic defence partnership framework to strengthen the defence partnership.