Russian Govt. Set to Supply Heavy Weaponry in India

Russia remains India's largest weapons supplier, Moscow's share of Indian purchases declined to 56% from 72% in 2015-2019, says a report

New Delhi: India to set healthy relationship with Russia. President Vladimir Putin will visit New Delhi today as billions of dollars of Russian weaponry flow into India to attract US sanctions. Keen to draw India into its efforts to contain China, the US may look away this time.

The Russian President is making his first foreign tour in nearly six months for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi India will receive Russia's S-400 advanced missile-defence system, which costs a $5 billion weapons deal. A similar purchase by NATO ally Turkey prompted the US to ban Ankara from its advanced F-35 fighter jet program.

According to the member of the Russian Defense Ministry's public advisory board, Ruslan Pukhov said, "It looks like Washington turned a blind eye for now since Indian support in the Asia-Pacific region is extremely important for the US." He also added, "India sent a strong message to the US that it would not tolerate American sanctions."

India is part of the Quad group with the US, Japan and Australia that is shaping up as a bulwark against China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. India is betting President Joe Biden's focus on China will allow it to press on with defence purchases from Moscow.

India needs Russia to keep up weapons supplies as it remains locked in its worst border standoff with China. New Delhi also wants more of a role in Afghanistan where Russia along with China and Pakistan remain key players following the Taliban's takeover.

With meetings scheduled between the Indian and Russian foreign and defence ministers, Putin's trip may yield more Indian orders for the Sukhoi Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets as well as 400 extra T-90 tanks, India's ambassador to Russia, Bala Venkatesh Varma, told the Tass news service last month. There's an agreement to produce more than 700,000 AK-203 rifles in India, too, he said.

India won't go ahead with a plan to build Russian Ka-226T military helicopters locally under a $1 billion deal, said Govt. official. Instead, the world's third-largest military force might make off-the-shelf purchases as replacements for its fleet of over 320 ageing helicopters.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute,  Russia remains India's largest weapons supplier, Moscow's share of Indian purchases declined to 56% from 72% in 2015-2019.

India is also part of a newly emerging partnership between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the US that plans to cooperate on economic and maritime security in the Middle East.