NEW DELHI: India is expected to raise the major delay in delivery of the two remaining squadrons of S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems as well as supply of spares for several crucial weapon platforms during defence minister Rajnath Singh’s three-day visit to Russia next week, which will also see him commission the first of the two guided-missile stealth frigates being built there.
Measures to strengthen the already expansive defence collaboration will be discussed during the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) meeting, which will be co-chaired by Singh and his counterpart Andrey Belousov in Moscow on December 10.
The two sides will review ongoing military-technical projects as well as collaboration in areas of strategic interest in the run-up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in early-2025 after a gap of three years.
With the IRIGC-M&MTC also not having met after 2021, India wants to press Russia to ensure proper maintenance support and timely supply of spares for weapon systems ranging from S-400 missile systems to Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets and T-90S main-battle tanks.
“Supply of spares has become a major problem for the Indian armed forces with the entire Russian defence industry diverted for the ongoing war with Ukraine,” a source told TOI.
India has its own strategic imperatives in striking a balance between Russia and the US, despite a pronounced tilt towards Washington in recent years. The tightening Moscow-Beijing clinch, for one, remains a major concern for New Delhi.
Though India has cranked up indigenous defence production, while increasingly turning to western countries for military hardware and software over the last decade, Russia still remains its main weapons supplier, accounting for over 36% of its arms imports.
Singh will travel to Kaliningrad first on December 9 to commission India’s latest 3,900-tonne multi-role frigate as INS Tushil (the protector shield), which is packed with sensors and weapons, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. The second frigate, in turn, will be commissioned as INS Tamal early next year.
TOI had last month reported that the delivery of two S-400 squadrons is likely to be delayed till 2026 and the lease of a nuclear-powered attack submarine (called SSN) till 2028 due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine.
Under the $5.43 billion (Rs 40,000 crore) contract inked with Russia in 2018, IAF has deployed the first three S-400 squadrons, which can detect and destroy hostile strategic bombers, jets, spy planes, missiles and drones at a range of 380-km, in north-west and east India to cater for both China and Pakistan. The over $3 billion (Rs 21,000 crore) deal to lease the SSN for 10 years, in turn, was inked in 2019.
The 125-metre long INS Tushil has undergone extensive trials, during which the warship clocked a speed of over 30 knots. “The frigate will reach India in a near combat-ready condition ready to deliver from the word go,” an officer said.
India in October 2018 had inked the umbrella agreement with Russia for four upgraded Krivak-III class frigates, with the first two to be imported from Russia for around Rs 8,000 crore.
The other two are being built at Goa Shipyard with transfer of technology at an overall cost of around Rs 13,000 crore, with the first being “launched” as Triput in July this year. These four warships will add to the six such Russian frigates, three Talwar-class and three Teg-class warships, already inducted in the Navy from 2003-2004 onwards.
