Posted on 12/03/2007 8:00:54 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Chill in Indo-Russian defence ties?
4 Dec 2007, 0112 hrs IST,Rajat Pandit,TNN
NEW DELHI: Russia will remain India's largest defence supplier for the foreseeable future, with ongoing arms contracts and projects in the pipeline worth well over a whopping $15 billion, but the time for any nostalgia is dead and gone.
The partnership - which saw India's military imports and tie-ups with Russia exceeding $35 billion since the 1960s, with around 70% of the equipment held by Indian armed forces being of Russian-origin - is slowly but surely souring now.
The continuing problems with Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov's modernisation refit project has become the most visible symbol of the rancour creeping into the relationship.
Incidentally, Defence Minister A K Antony, during his visit to Moscow in mid-October, talked "tough" about the delay in Gorshkov's modernisation. But it does not seem to have worked, with Russia now demanding a staggering $1.2 billion more to refurbish the decommissioned carrier, apart from pushing back its delivery date to 2012-2013.
"Nothing doing," was Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta's response on Monday. The new Russian demand, after all, virtually amounts to Moscow reneging from the $1.5-billion package deal signed in January 2004, which included the refit of the 44,570-tonne Gorshkov, as well as 16 MiG-29K 'Fulcrum' fighters and Kamov helicopters to operate from it.
The Navy Chief, in fact, even articulated the need to ponder over "where exactly" were the Indo-Russian ties headed now. "There has certainly been some conscious thinking about not putting all our eggs in one basket," he said, hinting at India's resolve to increasingly turn to countries like Israel, France, UK and US for its defence purchases.
As for Gorshkov, rechristened INS Vikramaditya, Admiral Mehta was quite clear that Russia should honour its contractual obligations since India had helped it in its time of need by bankrolling the then cash-starved Russian defence industry and shipyards.
"A fixed price contract should be honoured...negotiations are in progress. Personally, I don't think we will be paying much more, if at all we do. We have already put in $500 million (of the $974 million earmarked for Gorshkov's refit). We own the warship now," said Admiral Mehta.
India is irritated with Russia for not sticking to delivery schedules of contracted weapon systems and failing to provide uninterrupted supply of spares, apart from jacking up costs mid-way through execution of agreements.
Nevertheless, India has succumbed to Russian pressure to increase the annual cost escalation charge of contracted weapon systems to 5% from the present 2.55%. This, for instance, will lead to India paying millions of dollars extra for the 230 Sukhoi-30MKI fighters it's on course to acquire from Russia at an overall cost of around $8.5 billion.
India, of course, realises that only Russia will be ready to supply it with "sensitive" platforms like nuclear-powered submarines.
rajat.pandit@timesgroup.com
How old is the Gorshkov ?
I believe it was commissioned in 1986 or so-though it saw little active service before being deactivated.
This is extremely typical in US military procurements.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/1143-list.htm
laid down in 1978-commissioned in 87.
Well that’s a bit different-US procurement are mostly from US companies-you can haul them over the coals if they don’t deliver.You can’t do that if you are an importer.
60’s technology and design.
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