Putin to cement Russia’s partner No. 1 status during India visit

[sudhir007]

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Putin to cement Russia’s partner No. 1 status during India visit idrw.org

Israel and US may be cornering major chunks of the lucrative Indian defence market but Russia still reigns supreme. This will be driven home when Russian PM Vladimir Putin comes visiting here next week, with a flurry of defence deals and joint projects slated for finalisation.

The contracts range from the fresh $2.34 billion deal for refit of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and the $1.2 billion deal for 29 more MiG-29K maritime fighters to the joint development of the stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and the multi-role transport aircraft (MTA), say officials.

Plans are also afoot to procure an additional 40-45 Sukhoi-30MKIs to add to the 230 of these fighters already contracted in deals worth $8.5 billion, as also more regiments of the Smerch MLRS (multiple-launch rocket systems) in addition to three already raised.

Putin’s visit is also likely to see the finalisation of the commissioning of the K-152 Nerpa Akula-II nuclear-powered submarine in Indian Navy by May-June, under a 10-year lease flowing from a secretive deal inked in 2004.

The fresh agreement on Gorshkov, rechristened INS Vikramaditya by India, will however be the emblem to pronounce `all is well’ in the bilateral defence relationship.

Acrimonious negotiations over the huge cost escalation in Gorshkov’s refit have led to lot of bitterness over the last few years, which has also been fuelled by Russia’s propensity to delay deliveries, jack-up costs midway and not provide proper product support.

India, on its part, is now reconciled to getting Gorshkov in 2013 – instead of the earlier August 2008 – by paying $2.34 billion instead of the $974 million earmarked for it in what was thought to be `a fixed price contract’ when it was inked in January 2004.

The 29 more MiG-29Ks will be in addition to the 16 of these jets already contracted in the $1.5 billion Gorshkov package deal of 2004. With six MiG-29Ks already inducted in the Indian Navy, the jets are slated to operate both from the 44,570 tonne Gorshkov as well as the 40,000 tonne indigenous aircraft carrier being built at Cochin Shipyard, which should roll out by 2014-2015.

FGFA will be the futuristic project, with Russia’s technology demonstrator Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA beginning its flight trials earlier this year. India wants 250 of these fighters, built to its own specifications, to be inducted from 2017 onwards.

With supercruise capability, thrust-vectoring and integrated avionics, these stealth fighters will not come cheap. India’s share of the developmental costs alone could touch $5 billion, with each jet costing extra.

Under the joint MTA project, worth $600 million in developmental costs, Russia will get 100 such planes, capable of carrying a 15-20 tonne military payload, while India will take 45 of them initially. Another 60 will be sold to other countries. At a later stage, the MTA will also be modified into a passenger aircraft of a 100-seater capacity.

[Cityboy]

Russia is really true ally of india since a very long time..want to see more of business/economic agreement between russia an india

[Justin Joseph]

Putin to cement Russia’s partner No. 1 status during India visit idrw.org

Israel and US may be cornering major chunks of the lucrative Indian defence market but Russia still reigns supreme. This will be driven home when Russian PM Vladimir Putin comes visiting here next week, with a flurry of defence deals and joint projects slated for finalisation.

The contracts range from the fresh $2.34 billion deal for refit of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and the $1.2 billion deal for 29 more MiG-29K maritime fighters to the joint development of the stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and the multi-role transport aircraft (MTA), say officials.

Plans are also afoot to procure an additional 40-45 Sukhoi-30MKIs to add to the 230 of these fighters already contracted in deals worth $8.5 billion, as also more regiments of the Smerch MLRS (multiple-launch rocket systems) in addition to three already raised.

Putin’s visit is also likely to see the finalisation of the commissioning of the K-152 Nerpa Akula-II nuclear-powered submarine in Indian Navy by May-June, under a 10-year lease flowing from a secretive deal inked in 2004.

The fresh agreement on Gorshkov, rechristened INS Vikramaditya by India, will however be the emblem to pronounce `all is well’ in the bilateral defence relationship.

Acrimonious negotiations over the huge cost escalation in Gorshkov’s refit have led to lot of bitterness over the last few years, which has also been fuelled by Russia’s propensity to delay deliveries, jack-up costs midway and not provide proper product support.

India, on its part, is now reconciled to getting Gorshkov in 2013 – instead of the earlier August 2008 – by paying $2.34 billion instead of the $974 million earmarked for it in what was thought to be `a fixed price contract’ when it was inked in January 2004.

The 29 more MiG-29Ks will be in addition to the 16 of these jets already contracted in the $1.5 billion Gorshkov package deal of 2004. With six MiG-29Ks already inducted in the Indian Navy, the jets are slated to operate both from the 44,570 tonne Gorshkov as well as the 40,000 tonne indigenous aircraft carrier being built at Cochin Shipyard, which should roll out by 2014-2015.

FGFA will be the futuristic project, with Russia’s technology demonstrator Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA beginning its flight trials earlier this year. India wants 250 of these fighters, built to its own specifications, to be inducted from 2017 onwards.

With supercruise capability, thrust-vectoring and integrated avionics, these stealth fighters will not come cheap. India’s share of the developmental costs alone could touch $5 billion, with each jet costing extra.

Under the joint MTA project, worth $600 million in developmental costs, Russia will get 100 such planes, capable of carrying a 15-20 tonne military payload, while India will take 45 of them initially. Another 60 will be sold to other countries. At a later stage, the MTA will also be modified into a passenger aircraft of a 100-seater capacity.

Yes, we need more "Smerch MLRS".

[LCA Tejas]

Yes, we need more "Smerch MLRS".

Yup, and Pinka II which is undergoing with the help of Israel.... but Smerch, Iam a fan of it, nothing comparable to Smerch...

[r3alist]

i am not sure whether such events are good news or bad news for pakistan.

india getting access to more economic opportunities and weapons will help them and cause problems for pakistan since they need to maintain a minimum deterrence.

yet on the other hand true superpowers earn their place on the table with their own strength and prowess - so india are basically being given alot of opportunities (for one reason or another) and thus are not necessarily developing their own super power credentials like china have - who in all fairness have had alot less help than india have had.

[Justin Joseph]

Yup, and Pinka II which is undergoing with the help of Israel.... but Smerch, Iam a fan of it, nothing comparable to Smerch...

buddy,

Pinaka II is not moving anywhere, as i have talked with DRDO guys about it in Defexpo and they says there is no progress in this.

[LCA Tejas]

buddy,

Pinaka II is not moving anywhere, as i have talked with DRDO guys about it in Defexpo and they says there is no progress in this.

Oh no.... you serious man, but when is the time frame???

[Raje amar]

buddy,

Pinaka II is not moving anywhere, as i have talked with DRDO guys about it in Defexpo and they says there is no progress in this.

Guys, I thought Pinaka is with our army. the army is sattisfied with its performance in Kargil & introduces it. its a 40km system while smarch is a 70 km system.

can anybody clarify my doubts......

[LCA Tejas]

Guys, I thought Pinaka is with our army. the army is sattisfied with its performance in Kargil & introduces it. its a 40km system while smarch is a 70 km system.

can anybody clarify my doubts......

Pinaka is very well in service, we are talking about Pinaka II , with more range and rate of fire...

[sudhir007]

Pinaka is very well in service, we are talking about Pinaka II , with more range and rate of fire...

yes it has the range of around 120km may with GPS guided for accuracy. As per wiki

The rockets can also be guided by GPS to improve their accuracy. A wraparound microstrip antenna has been developed by DRDO for this system
While the Pinaka will not be developed further into a larger system, its success and the experience gained from the program has led the ARDE and its partner organizations, to launch a project to develop a long range MBRL in the class of the Smerch MBRL. A 7.2-metre rocket for the Pinaka MBRL, which can reach a distance of 120 km and carry a 250 kg payload. These new rockets can be fired in 44 seconds, have a maximum speed of mach 4.7, rise to an altitude of 40 km before hitting its target at mach 1.8 and can destroy an area of 3.9 sq km. Integrating UAV with the Pinaka is also in the pipeline, as DRDO intends to install guidance systems on these rockets to increase their accuracy. Development and trials will continue and the rocket is expected to enter user trial by 2012.

[gen x]

GOOD GOING GUYS

[navtrek]

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i am not sure whether such events are good news or bad news for pakistan.

india getting access to more economic opportunities and weapons will help them and cause problems for pakistan since they need to maintain a minimum deterrence.

yet on the other hand true superpowers earn their place on the table with their own strength and prowess - so india are basically being given alot of opportunities (for one reason or another) and thus are not necessarily developing their own super power credentials like china have - who in all fairness have had alot less help than india have had.

India is developing its credentials buddy behind all this buying there is a 50% offset clause.

The impact of this wont be realized now it will take time. But our private sector will play a major role in defense.