India-Russia Defence Deals: Russia has now given India a new proposal. Moscow wants to supply its Su-57 fighter jets to India and also make them inside the country. This news came from Russian news agency TASS, who said they heard it from a source inside Russia’s military and defence system. At the same time, Russia also promised that it will finish giving all five units of the S400 air defence system to India by 2026.
Talks are already going on about more S-400 units. Russian side said India already owns these systems and they see chance for more work together. Dmitry Shugayev, who is the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, told TASS, “India already has our S-400 system. There is potential to expand our cooperation in this area as well. That means new deliveries. For now, we are in the negotiation stage” reported India Today.
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The S-400 deal
Back in 2018, India and Russia signed a big defence deal worth 5.5 billion dollars. This was for five full squadrons of the S-400 Triumf, one of the most powerful air defence weapons in the world. It was meant to give India protection against threats especially from China, but the delivery got delayed many times. The Russia-Ukraine war also made the schedule go slow. The last two squadrons will only come in 2026 and 2027, which is three years late from the plan.
The full deal is worth about 40,000 crore rupees. One squadron comes with two batteries and 128 interceptor missiles. These missiles can stop enemy aircraft or missiles from distances of 120 km to 380 km. The package also has strong radars and launchers that can move across different lands. India has already placed three squadrons of this system on the western and eastern sides to watch both Pakistan and China.
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In May during Operation Sindoor, Indian forces showed the power of the S400. They used it to block and destroy missiles coming from Pakistan. This showed the weapon’s strength and how much it helps India’s defence.
India and Russia’s defence ties
Russia is still India’s biggest defence partner. Even though India now buys more from other countries like France and Israel, Russia still gave 36% of all India’s weapons between 2020 and 2024. France gave 33% and Israel gave 13%, according to SIPRI. India has long history with Russia, from making T-90 tanks and Su-30 MKI fighter jets in India to building BrahMos missiles and AK-203 rifles together. India also uses INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier from Russia, and Russian helicopters like MiG-29 and Kamov.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also met Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov in China earlier this year during the SCO meeting. They spoke about the delays and future projects. Singh later said the meeting was “insightful” and confirmed that India will keep growing defence work with Russia.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow respected India for not listening to Western pressure to stop buying Russian resources. He said Russia “appreciated” India’s stand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met Russian President Vladimir Putin recently at the SCO summit in China. Modi told Putin that India and Russia were close even in “difficult times.” Putin called Modi his “dear friend.”
