Heading into the storm

Heading into the Storm

India has supplied Akash air defense systems to Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, introducing this complex to the Central Asian market for the first time. The deliveries were announced by Samir Kamat, the former head of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). However, the exact number of systems transferred, their configuration, and the value of the agreements have not yet been disclosed.

Back in the summer, it was reported that Ashgabat and Dushanbe were considering the purchase of a more modern version, the Akash Mk 1S. At that time, it was only a matter of negotiations, with no confirmed contracts. Now, Kamat has announced that the export has already taken place.

Official bodies in Turkmenistan and Tajikistan have not publicly disclosed the details of these purchases. It is also unknown whether this refers specifically to the Mk 1S variant or another configuration of the Akash.

The appearance of the Akash in Turkmenistan and Tajikistan is particularly notable given the structure of these countries' armaments. Historically, their air defense systems have been largely built on Soviet and Russian complexes. Various configurations of the S-125, Kub, Buk, and S-300 surface-to-air missile systems are or have been in use. Therefore, the purchases of Indian systems indicate a gradual expansion of suppliers by Ashgabat and Dushanbe and an attempt to diversify their weapons inventory.

Prior to Central Asia, the most notable foreign customer for the Akash was Armenia. India sent the first battery of the system to Yerevan in November 2024. Armenia became the first foreign state to officially purchase this system.

According to Indian sources, the Armenian order was placed back in 2022 and included several Akash complexes. Estimates of the deal's value in open sources vary: Reuters reported approximately $230 million in 2025, while some Indian publications cited higher figures.

In recent years, New Delhi has been actively increasing its arms exports. According to the Indian Council of World Affairs, in the 2025/26 fiscal year, the country's defense exports reached approximately $4.6 billion, an increase of more than 60% compared to the previous year. Indian weaponry is supplied to about 80 nations.

The Akash has become one of the most prominent export products of this policy, alongside the BrahMos and Pinaka missile systems. India is simultaneously negotiating the sale of the system to other countries. Reuters previously reported, for example, interest from the Philippines.

If the information regarding the deliveries to Ashgabat and Dushanbe is confirmed by the official authorities of both countries, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan will become the next foreign operators of the Akash after Armenia, and the first customers of this system directly in Central Asia.

Reference: Akash is a ground-based surface-to-air missile system developed in India. DRDO describes it as a system designed to protect vital installations and areas from air attacks. The production of the missiles themselves is handled by the state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited. The system is designed to engage aircraft, helicopters, drones, and other aerial targets. For the base version, DRDO specifies an engagement range of about 25–27 kilometers and an altitude of up to 18 kilometers.

The Mk 1S modification differs primarily in its guidance system. In this version, command guidance during the main phase of flight is supplemented by an active radar homing seeker in the terminal phase. This is intended to increase interception accuracy, especially against maneuvering targets, and improve resistance to electronic countermeasures.