Deft diplomacy got India S-400 despite US curbs threat

It was diplomatic dexterity and deft balancing of ties that led to the Russian-made S-400 air defence missile system being sourced by India amid threats of sanctions from the United States.

New Delhi had ignored the threat of US sanctions emanating from the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). This Act was okayed in August 2017 during US President Donald Trump’s first term. The CAATSA requires imposing curbs on nations that have “significant” defence relations with Russia.

In an act of playing to both the US and Russia, India, in September 2018, signed an agreement with the US on exchange of military information — Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA). A sensitive agreement that shares real time details of all US-made platforms used by both sides.

A month later, in October 2018, New Delhi went ahead with the $5.4 billion deal to procure the S-400 air-defence missile system from Russia. An Indo-Russian joint statement after a Narendra Modi-Vladimir Putin meeting in New Delhi read: “Both sides welcomed the conclusion of the contract for the supply of the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile system to India.”

Nirmala Sitharaman who was the Defence Minister had remarked “we have told the US Congress delegation (that visited India) that this is the US law and not a UN law.” India has a strategic partnership with the US but it has made it clear to Washington that India-Russia military relations stand separate and independent from the India-US ties.

The CAATSA has a provision for a waiver and New Delhi argued out its case to the US. Washington reacted to the S-400 deal saying “the intent of CAATSA is to impose costs on Russia. It is not intended to impose damage to the military capabilities of our allies (India)...the waiver authority is not a blanket waiver. Waivers are considered on transaction basis. We cannot prejudge any sanction decision”.

India got five systems costing some $5.4 billion. These provide an “umbrella coverage” against any air-borne threats, including nuclear missiles, stealth aircraft, fighter jets, missiles, UAVs, etc. The radars on ground can track around 300 targets and then guide missiles to shoot down around three dozen targets simultaneously over a range of 400 km.

For example, an S-400 system deployed near Jalandhar in Punjab can track aircraft flying well over Islamabad and Peshawar in Pakistan. It forms the top most layer of integrated air defence grid that include the Akash, the MR-SAM, The QRSAM, The Spyder and the L70 modified weapon.

Moscow continues to be the single largest supplier of weapons and military equipment to India. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in March 12 this year, released its annual report “trends in international arms transfers”. Making an assessment for a five-year block (2020--2024) it said Russia accounted for 36 per cent of India’s arms imports.

In July 2022, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, moved a legislative amendment in the US House of Representatives seeking to exempt India from CAATSA. The amendment wanted the Joe Biden administration to use its authority to exempt India from CAATSA in order to deter aggressors like China.