India wants to abandon the purchase of Russian weapons – media
[ad_1]
getty images
India is seeking to distance itself from Russia as its biggest arms supplier, after Russia’s war against Ukraine undermined its ability to supply components and spare parts.
About this informs Reuters with reference to sources.
As the world’s largest arms importer, India is gradually reorienting itself towards the West as the US seeks to strengthen ties in the Indo-Pacific region.
Over the past two decades, Russia has supplied 65% of India’s arms purchases worth more than $60 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, but the war in Ukraine has accelerated the push to diversify India’s arms base.
Advertising:
“We are unlikely to sign any major military agreement with Russia. That would be a red line for Washington,” said Nandan Unnikrishnan, a Russia expert at the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi.
Russia has publicly urged India to strengthen defense ties, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has focused his attention on domestic production using Western technology, experts and officials said.
Such efforts fit better with Modi’s Make in India program to encourage domestic manufacturing. According to the Minister of Defense of India, during the next decade, the country plans to spend almost 100 billion dollars on defense orders.
Advertising:
India and the US plan to “accelerate” technological cooperation and joint production in the defense industry. In 2023, the countries signed an agreement under which General Electric will produce engines for its fighter jets in India. It was the first such concession by the US to a non-allied country.
Also, according to Reuters sources, India is considering buying French fighter jets for its newest aircraft carrier, and also wants to produce submarines based on French, German or Spanish technology and fighter jets with American and French engines.
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
