04 October 2011

India: Antony to Go on a Three-Day Visit to Russia to Strengthen Defence Cooperation

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony will be leaving New Delhi on Monday for a three-day visit to Moscow (3-5 Oct 2011) to co-chair the 11th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) with his Russian counterpart Mr. AE Serdyukov.

Shri Antony will be accompanied by a high-level official delegation including the Defence Secretary Shri Shashikant Sharma, Secretary Defence Production Shri Shekhar Aggarwal, Lt Gen MS Buttar, Air Marshal RK Sharma, Vice Admiral NN Kumar, Chief Controller of Research & Development of DRDO Dr. Avinash Chander, CMD Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Shri Ashok Nayak and DG Acquisition Shri Vivek Ray.

Besides regional and global security issues, the two sides will also review the progress of important ongoing projects such as Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), Admiral Gorshkov, delivery of frigates and Multi-Role Transport Aircraft will come for discussion at the meeting. The two sides will also deliberate upon aspects relating to licensed manufacture and maintenance of T-90 Tanks and Su-30 MKI Aircraft in India.

The two countries have signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement for joint design, development and production of FGFA involving Sukhoi Design Bureau on the Russian Side and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on the Indian side.

In the run up to the IRGC-MTC meeting, seven sub-groups and two working groups covering all areas of military technical cooperation between the two countries have met and discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to equipment and technology transfer, product support etc.

Shri Antony returns home on Wednesday (Oct 05, 2011).