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| Image: Flickr User - MEAphotogallery |
By Ankit Panda
Narendra Modi’s state visit to Russia could result in a bevy of important defense deals.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Russia on Wednesday, where he will spend two days meeting with senior Russian officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit will cover the gamut of the India-Russia bilateral relationship, touching on economic, defense, energy, and counter-terrorism. Notably, Modi is expected to confirm India’s sale of Russia’s advanced S-400 Triumf missile defense system. India will become the second buyer of the advanced platform after China. The visit marks Modi’s first state visit to Russia since becoming India’s prime minister in May 2014. Modi previously traveled to Russia for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS Summits over the summer in Ufa. Last year, Putin traveled to India for a bilateral visit, signing billions in agreements on trade and nuclear cooperation.
The S-400 deal with Russia is significant in many ways. It will represent the largest Indian weapons deal with Russia since 2001, restoring Moscow’s position as India’s top arms provider—a position it had held since the days of the Soviet Union but has recently conceded to the United States. Additionally, as I noted in an earlier piece for The Diplomat, the S-400 is an eminently capable missile defense system, among the best in its class in the world. Adding the S-400 to India’s arsenal will bolster India’s ability to protect against ballistic missiles and bombers from hostile neighbors.
For Russia, India’s continued appetite for defense hardware is a welcome opportunity at a time when western sanctions and drooping oil prices have hurt the country’s economy. The Russians no doubt took note when, last year, during Putin’s state visit to New Delhi, Narendra Modi noted that “Russia will remain [India's] most important defense partner.” Echoing last year’s assurances, Modi assured Putin that Moscow would remain India’s “principal partner” in defense, Russian state news reported.
“Russia has been India’s foremost defence partner through decades, accounting for a majority of our defence equipment… Even in the current environment, despite India’s improved access to the world market, Russia remains our principal partner,” Modi told Itar-Tass.
Read the full story at The Diplomat