India, Russia reorient defence ties towards co-development, co-production

Six-decade-old India-Russia military ties were today “re-oriented” to make co-development and co-production of advanced technology the new benchmark for promoting ‘Make in India’.

A joint statement, released after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their annual summit here, said “responding to India’s quest for self-reliance, the partnership is reorienting to joint research and development, co-development and co-production of advanced defence technology and systems”.

The shift towards “co-development” and “co-production” marks a paradigm change for several future platforms such as next-generation fighter jets, aero-engines, marine engines, radars and missiles that the Indian armed forces may require. Russia currently holds advanced technologies, including the S-400 air defence system and the fifth-generation Sukhoi-57 fighter jet.

So far, the BrahMos missile system remains the most notable joint venture between the long-standing partners. However, the missile was originally designed and developed in the erstwhile Soviet Union as the Yakhont before being adopted as BrahMos and further upgraded.

About a decade ago, India walked out of a joint project to co-design and co-develop a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Two years ago, Russia launched a joint venture to produce AK-203 rifles in India, though the rifle itself was designed and developed in Russia.

Other platforms such as the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets, T-90 tanks and MiG-21s are produced under licence in India, but their design and critical metallurgy remain with Moscow.

At the Modi-Putin talks, the two countries also expanded military cooperation and agreed to address the long-standing issue of sourcing spare parts for Russian-origin equipment. The two sides will now undertake joint manufacturing of spares in India.

“Both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian-origin arms and defence equipment,” the joint statement said.

This will fall under the Make in India programme through transfer of technology and the setting up of joint ventures to meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces, with the possibility of exports to mutually friendly third countries, it added.

Modi and Putin also welcomed the outcomes of the 22nd session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC).