The news of India striking a USD 5 billion deal with Russia that made headlines in 2018 after the deal was formally signed has started making rounds in the country again due to its recent development. Let’s figure out what it is in detail.
Being in service with the Russian Armed forces for more than a decade, this surface-to-air missile system costs about $300 million per battalion that consists of 9 launchers, 120 missiles, and command and support vehicles. Designated as the best air defence system currently made, S-400 has an amazingly impressive operational range of about 400 km, depending upon the model. The system has been bought in a few foreign deals by countries including China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
This approximately 40,000 crore deal that was first brought up during the BRICS Summit through the Inter-governmental Agreement between Russia and India was formally finalised in 2018, with India signing up to buy five S-400 regiments from Russia. This decision came in after India chose Russia’s S-400 over USA’s Patriot PAC 3. Now that we’ve mentioned the USA, you know things aren’t going to be easy. As the news of India finalising the deal broke, the USA threatened India with sanctions over their decision. However, ignoring the threats of US sanctions, India formally signed the deal on October 5, 2018, with commencements to be begun from 2021-22.
However, it’s the USA we’re talking about and we can bet on how persistent they are. On similar lines, USA undertook repeated attempts to dissuade India from purchasing the S-400 system and making the deal with Russia. To lay emphasis, USA also decided to impose sanctions on its NATO ally- Turkey for the purchase of the Russian missile system. In a more recent development on the respective banter, the independent research wing of Us congress, Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its reports said, “eager for more technology-sharing and co-production initiatives, while the United States urges more reforms in India’s defence offsets policy and higher Foreign Direct Investment caps in its defence sector”. It also claimed that India’s deal with Russia may lead to US sanctions on India under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. However, as mentioned, The Congressional Research Service is an independent research board of the congress and aims at providing reports to the government as a measure for them to make informed decisions. This act was passed against Russia in August 2017 for purportedly manipulating the 2016 presidential election process.
India, however, seems to be in a strong stance against the threats and use of sanctions by the USA as a political tool used by one country against the other. Infact, India has made it abundantly clear that it has no intentions to scrap the deal with Russia even after the US threats and nudges. It has been claimed through diplomatic sources that India’s situation is very different from Turkey’s considering that it went ahead with the Russian deal despite being a NATO member, unlike India.
The Ministry of External Affairs in vivid situations has implied it loud and clear that the deal has no chances to be called off since it is emphasised that it was made in the first place strictly based on national interest and the Ministry of External Affairs expects cooperation by its partners. The spokesperson, on behalf of the ministry of foreign affairs, also claimed that the deal and thus, the relations with Russia were tallied on their own merits, including but not limited to the military-technical cooperation. To present an example of how strongly India is standing on its stance, India requested Russia to accelerate the supply of S-400. This came in effect after India lost about 20 military personnel in a clash with China on LAC in eastern Ladakh. In response to India’s urge, Russia promised to deliver some systems much before the said deadline of 2021 end.
Infact, Russia, in a source from November, claimed to have been working very hard to keep their assurance of early supply of the S-400 missile system as asked by India in mid-June. The said interview went ahead to claim that the defence cooperation between the two nuclear power countries is immune to any foreign interference or restriction. This came in as an indirect dig at the USA for its consistent actions to dissuade the deal. The cordial relations between India and Russia can be further seen to transform its face in an Indo-Russian joint venture that aims at producing 200 Kamov Ka-226T attack helicopters for the Indian armed forces. The news was confirmed by the Russian Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Roman Babushkin, and he claimed that the 2 countries were ready to seal this multi-billion-dollar venture deal and have started working on the mutual logistics support agreement.
Russian Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Roman Babushkin, at an online media briefing claimed to have belief in India that its ties with other nations would not be at the expense of Russia’s strategic interests. The India-Russia deal so made for the five S-400 system sets is said to in the national interest of both countries and is expected to bring in confidence for the ties between the future progress of the two countries. The two counties are also said to have made negotiations for the procurement of the long-ranging S-400 air defence systems. India made its first batch of payment to Russia that consisted of about 800 million dollars last year for the supply of Russia’s advanced surface-to-air missile system. Not just that, the joint venture between the two countries is also in its final stage of conclusion. The said moves come in as an assurance to new development in the defence partnerships of the two countries.
Even though the imposition of US sanctions on India is a little unlikely, the country’s stance against the US’s warnings might roll out tensions for the future India-US defence deals, including the supposed procurement of armed U.S. made predator drones or the availability and initiation of joint aircraft production facilities.
The news of India striking a USD 5 billion deal with Russia that made headlines in 2018 after the deal was formally signed has started making rounds in the country again due to its recent development. Let’s figure out what it is in detail.
Being in service with the Russian Armed forces for more than a decade, this surface-to-air missile system costs about $300 million per battalion that consists of 9 launchers, 120 missiles, and command and support vehicles. Designated as the best air defence system currently made, S-400 has an amazingly impressive operational range of about 400 km, depending upon the model. The system has been bought in a few foreign deals by countries including China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
This approximately 40,000 crore deal that was first brought up during the BRICS Summit through the Inter-governmental Agreement between Russia and India was formally finalised in 2018, with India signing up to buy five S-400 regiments from Russia. This decision came in after India chose Russia’s S-400 over USA’s Patriot PAC 3. Now that we’ve mentioned the USA, you know things aren’t going to be easy. As the news of India finalising the deal broke, the USA threatened India with sanctions over their decision. However, ignoring the threats of US sanctions, India formally signed the deal on October 5, 2018, with commencements to be begun from 2021-22.
However, it’s the USA we’re talking about and we can bet on how persistent they are. On similar lines, USA undertook repeated attempts to dissuade India from purchasing the S-400 system and making the deal with Russia. To lay emphasis, USA also decided to impose sanctions on its NATO ally- Turkey for the purchase of the Russian missile system. In a more recent development on the respective banter, the independent research wing of Us congress, Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its reports said, “eager for more technology-sharing and co-production initiatives, while the United States urges more reforms in India’s defence offsets policy and higher Foreign Direct Investment caps in its defence sector”. It also claimed that India’s deal with Russia may lead to US sanctions on India under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. However, as mentioned, The Congressional Research Service is an independent research board of the congress and aims at providing reports to the government as a measure for them to make informed decisions. This act was passed against Russia in August 2017 for purportedly manipulating the 2016 presidential election process.
India, however, seems to be in a strong stance against the threats and use of sanctions by the USA as a political tool used by one country against the other. Infact, India has made it abundantly clear that it has no intentions to scrap the deal with Russia even after the US threats and nudges. It has been claimed through diplomatic sources that India’s situation is very different from Turkey’s considering that it went ahead with the Russian deal despite being a NATO member, unlike India.
The Ministry of External Affairs in vivid situations has implied it loud and clear that the deal has no chances to be called off since it is emphasised that it was made in the first place strictly based on national interest and the Ministry of External Affairs expects cooperation by its partners. The spokesperson, on behalf of the ministry of foreign affairs, also claimed that the deal and thus, the relations with Russia were tallied on their own merits, including but not limited to the military-technical cooperation. To present an example of how strongly India is standing on its stance, India requested Russia to accelerate the supply of S-400. This came in effect after India lost about 20 military personnel in a clash with China on LAC in eastern Ladakh. In response to India’s urge, Russia promised to deliver some systems much before the said deadline of 2021 end.
Infact, Russia, in a source from November, claimed to have been working very hard to keep their assurance of early supply of the S-400 missile system as asked by India in mid-June. The said interview went ahead to claim that the defence cooperation between the two nuclear power countries is immune to any foreign interference or restriction. This came in as an indirect dig at the USA for its consistent actions to dissuade the deal. The cordial relations between India and Russia can be further seen to transform its face in an Indo-Russian joint venture that aims at producing 200 Kamov Ka-226T attack helicopters for the Indian armed forces. The news was confirmed by the Russian Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Roman Babushkin, and he claimed that the 2 countries were ready to seal this multi-billion-dollar venture deal and have started working on the mutual logistics support agreement.
Russian Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Roman Babushkin, at an online media briefing claimed to have belief in India that its ties with other nations would not be at the expense of Russia’s strategic interests. The India-Russia deal so made for the five S-400 system sets is said to in the national interest of both countries and is expected to bring in confidence for the ties between the future progress of the two countries. The two counties are also said to have made negotiations for the procurement of the long-ranging S-400 air defence systems. India made its first batch of payment to Russia that consisted of about 800 million dollars last year for the supply of Russia’s advanced surface-to-air missile system. Not just that, the joint venture between the two countries is also in its final stage of conclusion. The said moves come in as an assurance to new development in the defence partnerships of the two countries.
Even though the imposition of US sanctions on India is a little unlikely, the country’s stance against the US’s warnings might roll out tensions for the future India-US defence deals, including the supposed procurement of armed U.S. made predator drones or the availability and initiation of joint aircraft production facilities.
