India pressurized by US for Buying frigates and S-400 missiles from Russia

Sohail Shuja

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
India plans to get new frigates from Russia while the US threatens New Delhi with sanctions over purchase of S-400 missile system

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Despite the modernization of India’s defense industry, Indo-Russian military cooperation is still strong — and two Talwar-class frigates will be delivered to New Delhi in 2024. But could competition from the US get in the way?

As part of a $2.2 billion deal with Moscow, the pair of warships, currently under construction at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, will be delivered in two years — and two additional frigates will be built domestically at India’s Goa Shipyard under a technology transfer agreement.

Relationship built over decades
India’s naval ties with Russia can be traced back to the mid-1960s when, following the 1962 Indo-China war, the government embarked on a plan for defense modernisation after suffering a humiliating defeat.

New Delhi’s efforts to solicit interest from the United States and Britain during the Cold War were largely unsuccessful, however, so India turned to the Soviet Union — sparking the rapid development of Indo-Soviet naval ties. Soviet support during the 1971 war with Pakistan then firmly established Indo-Russian defense ties and paved the way for future cooperation.

In the 50 years since, India has received a Kiev-class combination cruiser and aircraft carrier (the first fixed-wing carrier class built by the USSR), destroyers, stealth frigates, conventional and nuclear submarines, maritime reconnaissance aircraft and naval helicopters from Russia. Indeed, an estimated 70 percent of India’s defense equipment is of Russian or Soviet origin.

This means two generations of India’s servicemen have trained on, operated and maintained Russian equipment — a fact that still influences the enduring preference for Russian-made machines and a mutually beneficial arrangement for the countries.

Indigenization and new frontiers
More recently, however, India has focused on the modernization and indigenization of its own strategic defense technology in shipbuilding — moving away from being a ‘buyer’s navy’ to a ‘builder’s navy’.

The nature of India’s defense cooperation with Russia has, therefore, also evolved from a simple ‘buyer-seller’ relationship to one of joint research, development and production of advanced technologies and systems.

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Indian Army's T-90 Bhishma tanks. © Reuters / Adnan Abidi

Take the BrahMos anti-ship missile, for example. Regarded as the world’s fastest cruise missile, it is one of the major successes of this Indo-Russian research. Other joint ventures between Moscow and New Delhi include the development of fifth-generation fighter aircraft, as well as the domestic Indian production of the Kamov Ka-31 naval helicopter, T-90 tanks and Su-30MKI aircraft.

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An Indian Air Force SU-30MKI aircraft fires an air-to-air missile. © Reuters / Amit Dave

At the same time, India’s thriving shipbuilding industry has made leaps in design and construction. In an effort to keep pace with China’s rapidly advancing PLA Navy, India has aspirations to grow from 130 ships to become a 200-ship force by 2027. Under that vision, the country will boast three carrier battle groups, 500 aircraft, and 24 submarines — six of them nuclear.

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Ka-31 helicopter. © Wikipedia / jno

Significantly, with the exception of the two Talwar-class frigates under construction at Russia’s Yantar Shipyard, all of them will be built domestically in India — a sign that the country’s shipbuilding industry has truly come of age.

Looking at alternative suppliers?
As the world’s leading importer of arms, India has been wooed by other major global suppliers and received offers of state-of-the-art defense equipment from Israel, France, the UK and the US — all of which have been keen to promote strategic partnerships with New Delhi in the Indo-Pacific region.

Washington declared India a “major defense partner” in 2016 — but that partnership has faced the hurdle of overcoming interoperability and compatibility issues, given the well-established use of Russian-made systems. In that sense, it does not look like the US will be overtaking Russia as New Delhi’s primary defense partner in the near future.

The US has also threatened India with sanctions over a major deal with Moscow to acquire a batch of S-400 missile defence systems, though it has not imposed any measures on New Delhi yet.

Strong interest from other countries provides India’s forces with both an opportunity and a challenge. While diverse equipment presents some difficulties in terms of integration of technology and maintenance, it also provides crucial advantages over its regional adversary, China, which does not have the same access to this technology.

India has, therefore, selectively introduced new equipment from multiple sources, including multi-role helicopters and P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft from the US, Scorpene-class submarines from France and Israeli weapon systems.

Most of the Indian navy’s top equipment still has a strong Russian link, though, having either been built in Russia or heavily influenced by Russian design — and Washington is not snapping at Moscow’s heels just yet.

India’s preference for Russian naval platforms and equipment continues despite solid efforts at indigenization and access to plenty of alternative options — and it’s a guarantee that the next generation of Indian naval personnel will continue to man Russian platforms and equipment.

Source: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/480783-india-russia-defence-frigates/
 

AdamA

Senator (1k+ posts)
The problem for India is that Russia can't deliver the platforms it has ordered on time. The delivery of S-400 has been delayed and there are problems with the AK-203 assault rifles too. This forces India to look else where. It needs everything by mid 2021.
 

Deen2

MPA (400+ posts)
The problem for India is that Russia can't deliver the platforms it has ordered on time. The delivery of S-400 has been delayed and there are problems with the AK-203 assault rifles too. This forces India to look else where. It needs everything by mid 2021.
Whatever the reason being.
Mera khail ha Hindustan bohot close ha Russia ka saat, inko separate kero.
 

atensari

(50k+ posts) بابائے فورم
Billi ke khuwaab main cheechrey nazr arahey they sochaa jagga doon.
warna khuwahishat pe koi bapandi nahi
!کیونکہ کے یہ ہندو-ستان کا معاملہ ہے. آپ کے خواب میں چھچڑے بھی نہیں آتے
 

bhaibarood

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
!کیونکہ کے یہ ہندو-ستان کا معاملہ ہے. آپ کے خواب میں چھچڑے بھی نہیں آتے
Ji jab humraey piyarey aur apkey favorite Generals APS ke khoon ka sauda karain aur apkey peer Ihsaan ullah ko chor dain tu asey beghairton se kia umeed rakhi ja sakti hai!
Dekhain khuwaab aur banaein awaam ko tutia
 

atensari

(50k+ posts) بابائے فورم
Ji jab humraey piyarey aur apkey favorite Generals APS ke khoon ka sauda karain aur apkey peer Ihsaan ullah ko chor dain tu asey beghairton se kia umeed rakhi ja sakti hai!
Dekhain khuwaab aur banaein awaam ko tutia
ہندو-ستان کے لئے اسقدر بچھنے رہنے کا کوئی سبب تو ہے
 

atensari

(50k+ posts) بابائے فورم
Sahi tu kia hai , APS ke bachon ke khoon ka hisaab hona chaheye? Ya apkey peer ko khullli azaadi de deain?
ڈرون حملوں میں جان بحق ہونے والے بچوں کا کیا قصور تھا سوائے اس کے کے وہ آپ کے پیروں کی ٹیکنالوجی کا نشانہ بنے​
 

bhaibarood

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
ڈرون حملوں میں جان بحق ہونے والے بچوں کا کیا قصور تھا سوائے اس کے کے وہ آپ کے پیروں کی ٹیکنالوجی کا نشانہ بنے​
Yeh baat apney Kiayani aur Busharaf se poochain jis ne shami airbase dia tha?
 

RAW AGENT

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Whatever the reason being.
Mera khail ha Hindustan bohot close ha Russia ka saat, inko separate kero.

jo kuchh karna ho jaldi karo ............ ? ? ?
are bhai niazi ko bolo ki malaysia aur turkey ke chakkar me na aye , saudi ke dollar wapis karna parega ,
russia india ke chakkar me khud barbad hoga .
 

Sohail Shuja

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Russia is not a friend, it's desparate for money and India knows this.

There are no friends. just interests in the modern world. India is standing at the crossroads of strategic partenrship. It is trying to play smart and make both ends meet, but it is going to prove a nightmare for India in the long haul. It cannot maintain a balance between the two opposite poles. The confusion is likely to continue and the cleavage is going to get deeper.
 

RAW AGENT

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
There are no friends. just interests in the modern world. India is standing at the crossroads of strategic partenrship. It is trying to play smart and make both ends meet, but it is going to prove a nightmare for India in the long haul. It cannot maintain a balance between the two opposite poles. The confusion is likely to continue and the cleavage is going to get deeper.

india has been promoter of non aligned movement NAM alongwith nasir and martial tito of egypt and yugoslavia , if there is any problem india can make distance from both russia and america .
 

Sohail Shuja

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
india has been promoter of non aligned movement NAM alongwith nasir and martial tito of egypt and yugoslavia , if there is any problem india can make distance from both russia and america .

Theoretically, it is possible. In reality, I don't think so. India is not so independent that it can sustain on its own, provided it has a problem not only with Pakistan, but China as well.