In a move with strategic implications across hemispheres, Brazil has placed its planned procurement of India&rsquo;s Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM) system on indefinite hold. Instead, the Latin American power is pursuing Italy&rsquo;s EMADS&mdash;Enhanced Modular Air Defence System&mdash;signalling a sharp pivot towards NATO-standard air defence technology.
From New Delhi&rsquo;s perspective, the development is both a commercial disappointment and a geopolitical signal. For India's burgeoning defence export ambitions under the &lsquo;Atmanirbhar Bharat&rsquo; banner, Brazil&rsquo;s decision is a sobering reminder of the challenges faced in marketing indigenous systems to nations with modern airspace threats and NATO-aligned operational doctrines.
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<h3 data-start="940" data-end="984">The Akash and the Opportunity Missed</h3>
India&rsquo;s Akash, developed by DRDO and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), has long served as the backbone of India&rsquo;s medium-range air defence. Deployed along both the northern and eastern borders, the Akash is a robust system designed to intercept fast-moving aircraft, cruise missiles, and UAVs within a 25&ndash;30 km radius.
Its command guidance architecture, supported by the Rajendra passive phased-array radar, has proven reliable in conventional operational environments. However, the version reportedly offered to Brazil was the earlier Mk-1 iteration&mdash;lacking active radar homing and reliant on semi-automated tracking from ground stations. While effective in traditional engagements, it falls short when pitted against low-observable, high-speed threats in cluttered electromagnetic terrain&mdash;exactly the kind of challenges Brazil now anticipates.
To India's credit, a more advanced variant&mdash;Akash-NG&mdash;is in the works. This upgraded system incorporates an AESA radar, active seeker, and a dual-pulse motor to boost range to 40 km. But Akash-NG is still undergoing trials and has yet to see export-scale production.
From Brazil's military planners&rsquo; standpoint, the insistence on supplying an earlier Akash variant without significant foreign technology participation was a key factor behind the breakdown in negotiations. India may have stood on principle, but Brazil was looking for immediate capability uplift, not incremental development.
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<h3 data-start="2473" data-end="2522">Enter EMADS: A Modular Shield from Europe</h3>
Italy&rsquo;s EMADS, built by MBDA in collaboration with Leonardo, emerged as the alternative&mdash;and, in Brazil&rsquo;s assessment, the superior&mdash;choice. At the heart of the system lies the CAMM-ER missile, an evolution of the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile family, designed with NATO operations in mind.
The CAMM-ER offers a 45 km engagement envelope, enabled by a high-energy motor that outclasses the Akash Mk-1. More critically, it features an active radar seeker and 'fire-and-forget' capability, allowing it to independently home in on targets after launch, thereby reducing operator workload and increasing survivability in contested electronic environments.
Moreover, EMADS employs a soft vertical launch mechanism. This not only offers 360-degree coverage but also suppresses the thermal and acoustic signature at launch&mdash;vital in avoiding counter-battery fire. The system&rsquo;s modularity allows it to be easily integrated with Western command and control networks, including Link 16, giving it a plug-and-play advantage that is hard to match.
<h3 data-start="3561" data-end="3601">Why Brazil Chose NATO Over BRICS</h3>
This decision is not simply about range and radar. It reflects a broader ambition within Brazil&rsquo;s armed forces: to modernise with systems that offer industrial participation, logistical synergy, and compatibility across service branches.
EMADS aligns with these goals in three ways:
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Operational Fit: The system will integrate with the Brazilian Navy&rsquo;s Tamandar&eacute;-class frigates, which are already set to use the same missile family. This commonality reduces training and maintenance overhead.
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Industrial Participation: Brazil is reportedly exploring co-production and technology transfer with MBDA, leveraging its existing aerospace base&mdash;led by Embraer&mdash;to enhance domestic manufacturing capacity.
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Strategic Flexibility: By partnering with a European firm, Brazil ensures interoperability with NATO systems without formally joining the alliance&mdash;a diplomatic sweet spot.
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India had attempted to bundle the Akash deal with interest in Embraer&rsquo;s KC-390 transport aircraft, proposing a government-to-government package. However, the pitch appears to have lacked the technical ambition Brazil was seeking. The message is clear: capability trumps camaraderie.
<h3 data-start="4781" data-end="4836">Lessons for India: Upgrading More Than Hardware</h3>
This is not a referendum on Indian technology&mdash;but on perception, packaging, and positioning.
India&rsquo;s defence R&amp;D ecosystem has matured significantly over the past two decades. The Akash, in its next-gen form, is on the cusp of being a competitive export. But time-to-market, system flexibility, and the ability to offer holistic upgrade paths&mdash;both in software and hardware&mdash;remain decisive.
Also at play is the growing demand for open architecture systems. Brazil&rsquo;s decision suggests that nations are looking for SAM platforms that can be easily integrated with their existing radar arrays, control centres, and battlefield management networks. Proprietary, standalone systems, no matter how capable, are a harder sell in an age of joint-force doctrines and cloud-based warfighting.
Moreover, the value of soft power and diplomatic agility in defence exports cannot be overstated. If a deal hinges on interoperability and tech-sharing, a rigid product pitch&mdash;however indigenous&mdash;may falter against a flexible, co-development narrative from the West.
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<h3 data-start="5889" data-end="5940">Not a Rejection, But a Reminder</h3>
Brazil&rsquo;s shift from Akash to EMADS is not a rejection of Indian defence innovation&mdash;it is a reminder of where the bar now lies in the global arms market. For India, it is also a call to accelerate the maturation of systems like Akash-NG, enhance collaborative production frameworks, and reimagine how it pitches sovereign defence capability to the world.
India has the design expertise, production scale, and operational experience. The next challenge is mastering the art of modularity, open architecture, and integrated force solutions. Only then can systems like Akash truly compete&mdash;technically and tactically&mdash;on the export battlefield.

India's Akash  and Italy's EMADS air defence system

Brazil picks NATO-grade EMADS over India’s Akash amid focus on range, tech, and synergy

Brazil Freezes Akash Deal, Turns to Italy’s EMADS

Brazil picks NATO-grade EMADS over India’s Akash amid focus on range, tech, and synergy

July 14, 2025 | 21:12 IST