A defence link that lasts

Defence cooperation is likely to prove a key topic at the India-Russia summit on December 4 and 5. The expected talks between the defence ministers, their second meeting this year, will cover several deals, including India’s additional procurement of S-400 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, as well as potential contracts for the purchase and joint production of S-500 systems and the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets. While bilateral discussions on defence have clearly resurfaced, this does not mean that new agreements will be among the deliverables of the summit.

- HARSH V PANT & ALEKSEI ZAKHAROV

Since the Cold War era, defence has been a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation, with the Soviet Union emerging as a major arms supplier to India in the 1960s. Moscow's willingness to share its technologies and localise production, as evidenced by the establishment of the MiG-21 plant in India in 1962, along with the provision of military hardware following the US embargo in 196s, were the main drivers of the two countries coming together as defence partners. Specifically, the USSR bolstered the Indian Air Force (IAF) by exporting 200 Su-7 fighter bombers in 1967, which were superior to the jets in Pakistan’s arsenal. In the 1980s, alarmed by India’s diversification efforts, the Soviet Union stepped up its attempts to lure New Delhi with advanced weapons and technologies. This entailed updating the previously delivered equipment, such as tanks, fighter jets, missiles, and warships. In a sign of deep trust, the USSR leased a nuclear-powered submarine to India in 1987.