Alternative Powerhouses Strengthening Military Ties

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Lately more and more reports have been amassed regarding the ‘unprecedented’ level of cooperation between India and Russia in military technology transfer. In Addition to this already rather firm trend, Moscow is now ready to develop military and technical cooperation with Delhi on a long-term basis, Russia’s Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu announced recently.

“The intensity and the depth of military and technical cooperation speak about the unprecedented level of trust between our countries,” Shoigu said at a meeting with his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman. The Russian defense minister told tass.com that he is confident that “no other state cooperates with India in the sphere of the transfer of armament and military hardware production technologies as close as Russia.” “Our cooperation spreads to the most sensitive spheres,” Shoigu said. A few examples, Russia’s defense chief cited the contracts for the delivery of S-400 Triumf air defense missile systems, Project 11356 frigates signed with India despite external pressure and, as reported by defenseworld.net Indo-Russian JV will likely begin manufacturing Kalashnikov rifles in India in 2019.

“We are ready for further cooperation in the military and military-technical spheres on a planned and long-term basis,” Shoigu said. Defense is a key area of Russian-Indian cooperation, which develops intensively and keeps the considerable potential, he said.

“The interaction of the general staffs and military branches of the armed forces is strengthening, the exchange of military delegations is expanding and work is being carried out in the sphere of military education. This helps multiply the useful experience of developing and reforming the Army and the Navy, planning and organizing operational and combat training measures,” Russia’s defense chief said.

The near session of the Russian-Indian inter-governmental commission on military and technical cooperation will contribute to developing military cooperation between Russia and India, Shoigu said. He elaborated and added that this session will sum up the results of the commission’s work over the recent year and determine how to promptly and effectively implement the accords reached by the leaders of both countries during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in October this year, the defense minister said.

Russia and India are also bound by the strong and time-tested friendship based on the deep sympathy and mutual trust, Shoigu emphasized.

‘The special privileged strategic partnership of our countries is based on common approaches towards solving global regional problems, the spiritual closeness of or great cultures. For many years, we have been expanding fruitful contacts at all the levels. Regular meetings of the leaders of our countries, the latest of which took place in Buenos Aires, is a vivid proof of constructive bilateral relations,” the Russian defense minister said.