Introduction

As states that face serious strategic threats within their region and extended neighbourhood, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India have shared objectives when it comes to tackling these challenges. Consequently, they also have a common aim of developing their respective domestic defence industries. Shared strategic challenges and the need for greater self-reliance, as well as a quest for developing exportable military capabilities, make the UAE-India defence-industrial cooperation both a necessity and an opportunity. The two sides have engaged in high-level official interactions, as well as those between industry players, and among policy research institutions.

Yet tighter defence cooperation is impeded by challenges, which are not insurmountable but require careful attention. Overcoming these hurdles involves a careful understanding of the defence industrial eco-systems of both countries. What are each side’s strengths and weaknesses? How do their defence industrial manufacturing bases and Research and Development (R&D) investments create complementarities or at least set the foundation for a productive defence relationship?

This necessitates comprehending the fundamental complexities and nuances of defence procurement in each country, their respective technological strengths, and how both countries establish priorities for defence planning. The relative size of their respective defence industries also varies, yet diversification away from their traditional sources of defence supply creates opportunities, which if effectively exploited, will pave the way for a strong and durable bilateral defence relationship. This analysis provides an overview of the defence-industrial capabilities of both countries and explores avenues for cooperation.

Read the report here.

• International Affairs
• Defence and Security
• India
• West Asia
• bilateral relationship
• cooperation avenues
• Defence Cooperation
• defence industries
• defence planning
• defence procurement
• defence supply
• India
• military capabilities
• self-reliance
• strategic threats
• technological strengths
• UAE

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