Russia has begun production of the S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) for India, said Denis Manturov, head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.

“The Almaz-Antei Concern East Kazakhstan Region has begun manufacturing the S-400 system for India, and Russia will deliver the S-400 to India within the terms stipulated by the contract,” RIA Novosti quotes him.

Manturov stressed that Russia and India are fulfilling all their obligations under the S-400 supply contract concluded between the countries.

At the end of November, Rosoboronexport announced that the delivery of five C-400 regiments to India would be completed in the first half of 2025. Earlier, on November 20, 2019, the general director of Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev, announced that the first S-400 regiment would be delivered to India in September 2021.

The contract for the supply of S-400 in the amount of $ 5.43 billion was signed during negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which were held in New Delhi in October 2018. This contract has become the largest in the history of Rosoboronexport.

Sanction pressure

It is worth noting that the intention of India to adopt the Triumph systems was met with consistent resistance from the US authorities. Representatives of the Trump administration and the US State Department have repeatedly stated that India will face sanctions if the S-400 ZKR is purchased under the Law on Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions (CAATSA).

  • Indian Army
  • Reuters
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So, in June 2019, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells said that Washington would continue to put pressure on India to acquire S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and other major military equipment from Russia. Speaking in the US Congress, the American diplomat said that Washington will not make exceptions for any country that buys Russian complexes.

The US Department of State confirmed this position in early 2020. The representative of the US Foreign Ministry, answering a question from reporters, noted that neither the US Congress nor the Trump administration provided immunity to India from sanctions for the purchase of the S-400.

“Indian officials understand that there is a risk of sanctions ... A good example is Turkey. The S-400 is a threat to the F-35 and could be a threat to other platforms, so we frankly discussed this with all partners. We don’t want India, as our partnership develops, some actions complicate this cooperation or create a risk for our technologies in future purchases, ”said the representative of the State Department.

As military expert Viktor Litovkin noted in an interview with RT, the advantages of the S-400 over American air defense systems are too great for countries to refuse to buy them even under the threat of US sanctions.

“India, like Turkey, is not abandoning the S-400, because the Russian system has decisive advantages over any American air defense system. Egypt, Algeria and Iraq have already become interested in the Russian S-400 system, despite pressure from the United States, which use any threats, blackmail to push its equipment, including to the Indian market, ”the expert explained.

Now New Delhi is looking at value for money, so competition for the Indian arms market has increased, Boris Volkhonsky, associate professor at the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, said in a conversation with RT.

“Russia has to prove that it does not work by inertia, it has better military equipment. India, despite unprecedented pressure from the United States over the purchase of S-400, has demonstrated that it is confidently pursuing its political line and choosing the best that is on the arms market, ”the political scientist explained.

The United States, using methods of unfair competition, under far-fetched political pretexts, is trying to force India to abandon the purchase of Russian weapons and thus replace its Russian products, explained Boris Volkhonsky.

“New Delhi in this case demonstrates that it puts its national interests higher than political pressure from Washington,” the political scientist added.

Technological kit

Cooperation between Russia and India in the defense industry is not limited to the supply of S-400. According to Manturov, in 2020 Moscow and New Delhi plan to sign a contract for the production of Ka-226T helicopters in India.

  • MiG-35 fighter
  • RIA News
  • © Ramil Sitdikov

“To date, we have completed work on the formation of the technical appearance of a helicopter. We are ready, after agreement with the Indian side, to begin commercial negotiations. We look forward to concluding a contract this year, ”said Manturov.

The Ka-226T light multi-purpose helicopter with a supporting system made according to a twin-screw coaxial scheme has a maximum take-off mass of 3.6 tons and is capable of carrying up to one ton of payload. A transport cabin is installed on the helicopter, the design of which allows carrying up to six people or modules equipped with special equipment.

Also, the Indian Air Force is actively arming themselves with Russian airplanes - on January 20, the first squadron of Su-30MKI fighters armed with the aviation version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles was commissioned.

The Su-30MKI twin multipurpose heavy fighter is the result of Russian-Indian cooperation. At first, only Russia produced military vehicles, and in 2000, the original license for their creation was received by the cooperation of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). It is estimated that India will have a total of 272 such aircraft.

Air Force Marshal of the Indian Air Force Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria noted that these aircraft will bring "a tremendous expansion of the operational potential of the Indian Air Force."

In addition, Denis Manturov said that Russia is ready to jointly develop a fifth generation fighter with India. In addition, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade noted that Russian MiG-35 4 ++ generation multi-role fighters outperform many competitors.

“A tender has not yet been officially announced, but I can say that Russian multi-role fighters surpass many competitors in flight performance and combat properties ... The decision, of course, will be made by the Indian side, but I am convinced that Russia is the best supplier of modern combat aircraft for India "- Denis Manturov declared.

Licensed production

Active cooperation is also developing in the field of land military equipment. So, Russia and India signed a contract to extend the program for licensed production of T-90S tanks until 2028, Denis Manturov said. Russia also offers India the joint development of a promising infantry fighting vehicle with a 57-mm combat module, which will significantly increase the firepower of motorized rifle units.

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Cooperation in the military-industrial complex between India and Russia will always be at a high level, since about 80% of Indian weapons are Russian or Soviet equipment, Viktor Litovkin explained in a conversation with RT.

“In addition, India is the only country with which Russia has a joint production of military equipment, for example, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile for the Su-30MKI aircraft, which Moscow has specially developed for New Delhi. An important feature of India is that, when buying military equipment, it wants to be sold a license and help establish the production of equipment in the country. Only Russia agrees to such cooperation, while no other country is ready to take such a step, ”said the expert.

Moscow conscientiously and generously shares its technology, knowledge and skills, which New Delhi appreciates, Viktor Litovkin added.

“India is trying not to put all its eggs in one basket so as not to depend on one country, but Russian equipment has a huge advantage over any other Western equipment and weapons in the Indian market,” the expert concluded.