RUSSIA MATTERS

An abiding military relationship with Russia is essential for India

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For the past decade, the message coming out of New Delhi has been that India has moved away from Russian military hardware to the purchase of Western weapons for all three services. The reality, as discussed below, is different, however.

The United States, despite the hype in diplomatic, political, and official circles in New Delhi, has not provided the technologies that could reshape Indian military capability on the field or build up the country’s technological abilities. In contrast, Russia has provided some of the critical technologies that help develop Indian military capabilities and allowed India to move on the path of Atmanirbhar in weapons production.

Now, with the upcoming visit of President Putin to India, the time has come to ink a set of military deals that significantly enhance the lethality of the Indian armed forces.

Background

In the early 1960s, the then Soviet Union supplied India with the supersonic MiG-21 fighter and, more importantly, agreed to the licensed production of the plane in India. Facts that over 400 MiG-21s were built and the last aircraft was retired in 2025 provide testament to the versatility of the craft.

The Indian Army was to see the induction of the T-54 and T-55 tanks, followed in later years by the T-72 and the T-90. The Army also acquired hundreds of BMP Infantry Fighting Vehicles, the Pinaka and Smerch multiple rocket launchers, as well as Kub, Osa, Gecko, Strela, and Igla surface-to-air missiles.