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Upswing in Russia-India military ties

Successes of Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation are obvious — the two countries have started implementing joint projects to develop and produce a fifth generation fighter aircraft and a multi-role cargo plane. The programme licensing the Indian production of SU-30MKI aircraft (NATO reporting name Flanker-H) and their AL-31FP engines is continuing. The two sides have also launched a project for licensed production of the RD-33 (series 3) aircraft engine and to continue joint building of warships in Indian shipyards.

Russia has submitted a project on the joint development and production of the Kaveri aircraft engine to India and is waiting to be invited for talks. Within the framework of the GLONASS agreement, the two sides have had consultations and began working on proposals for its implementation. This is regarding the present and the future, but it would also be appropriate to recall the past.

The Soviet Union supplied India with MiG-27M aircraft (Flogger-J), including licences for their production. India was the first foreign country to receive the new MiG-29 (Fulcrum) fighters, three years after the Soviet Air Force was equipped with them. The Soviet Union also sold the anti-submarine aircraft Il-38 (May) and Tu-142 ME (Bear) to India. The Soviet shipbuilding industry began designing special types of surface warships for the Indian Navy.

After 1991, India received more modern armaments than Russia itself. Russia designed one of the world’s most modern fighters — Su-30MKI (Flanker-H) — especially for India. It has also launched serial production of Ka-31 (Helix-B) helicopters with radar, airborne over-the-horizon RVV-AE missiles (AA-12 Adder), anti-ship missiles — 3M24E Uran-E (SS-N-25 Switchblade), Kh-35 (SS-N-25 Switchblade), and 3M54E Club (SS-N-27 Sizzler), cruise missiles 3M14E (Club-S), new versions of the airborne Kh-31 (AS-17 Krypton), and T-90S tanks for India.

On an Indian order, the Admiral Gorshkov is being converted into an aircraft carrier, and MiG-29K (Fulcrum) fighters are being produced for it. Russia and India have together designed and produced the BrahMos missile system on the basis of Russia’s latest supersonic anti-ship missile. The Indian Army and Navy have already been equipped with it. Russia is also offering its super modern MiG-35 (Fulcrum-F) aircraft for the MRCA Indian tender.

All these projects can give India state-of-the-art military technology. In some instances, it is unique. No other country has supersonic anti-ship missiles; only the United States has F-22A fighters with controlled thrust vectoring (used in Su-30MKI aircraft).

Keen on developing its own scientific and technical potential, India wants to move from buying ready-made weapons to acquiring technology, joint developments, and production. Russia is offering India its latest products; developments no other country will part with. Moscow’s readiness to sell state-of-the-art technologies to New Delhi is unprecedented. It has offered licensed production of MiG-35 (Fulcrum-F) fighter and its systems, including active phased array radar.

Long-standing bilateral military-technical cooperation (MTC) has seen ups and downs, as it often happens in relations between any two countries, but now it is clearly on the upsurge. In 2007, the two countries signed a record number of arms supplies agreements against the background of India’s rapid economic development.

In this situation it is easier to resolve the arising problems. Neither Russia nor India is satisfied with Moscow’s efforts to repair and re-equip the Admiral Gorshkov. New Delhi is worried about Moscow’s decision to reassess the cost of work and change the schedule. Russia has its own concerns on this score. The ship’s conversion into an aircraft carrier is a very difficult and complicated operation. Many designing and technological decisions made during the implementation of this order have no precedent in shipbuilding.

After identifying defects in the warship, drafting a technical project and making detailed engineering blueprints, the Russian side had to make substantial changes in the ship’s design and conversion technology. It wants the aircraft carrier to have high combat qualities and a long service life. This required a lot of additional work, which was not envisaged in the signed contract. This is why the schedule of work had to be changed, as well as the cost of repairs and conversion.

Russia has given India detailed information for the objective discussion of problems and adoption of adjusted decisions.

During the upcoming consultations and talks, the sides will be able to agree on the changes and on the transfer of what practically amounts to a new aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy.

There is no doubt that the sides will find the right decisions, as has happened more than once during Russian-Indian MTC cooperation.

Sometimes, the Indian media accuse Russia of deliberate delays in launching the production of T-90S tanks in India. The Russian side cannot accept these accusations. It has given all the required technical documentation to the Indian side, supplied it with equipment and trained Indian specialists in Russia. In 2003, India received a programme for the stage-by-stage production of component parts for the tanks, but is refusing to discuss it. Under the contract, India should request components for the production programme until March 31 of the year before the supply year. The first requests came in April 2007.

From 2001 to 2007, Russia has received more than 1,000 invitations to take part in the tenders for the supply of one or two components on a scale which does not allow for tank production. As a rule, private Indian companies which have received contracts from the artillery plant department for the production of individual components fail to launch production on time and also request supplies of ready-made parts, which is against Indian and Russian legislation.

Absence of annual requests did not allow Russian manufacturers to then plan the production of components, especially those with a long cycle of manufacture (it takes from 10 to 12 months to make a tank’s hull and turret). Until recently, it took India one or two years, if not more, to review Russia’s counter-offers.

In 2007, the situation started to change for the better. It looks like 2008 will see a breakthrough in the production of T-90S tanks at a plant in Avadi near Chennai.

There were problems with airborne missiles. Without going into the technical details, it is necessary to emphasise that Russian and Indian experts have conducted a number of meetings and agreed on the technical issues related to missile launches. They have also drafted the proposals which will make it possible to demonstrate the combat effectiveness of Russian weapons.

There are some problems and differences, but no matter how important they may seem at a certain time, they are all eventually resolved and should not influence cooperation backed by long-standing friendship. — RIA Novosti

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