Putin’s India Visit to Advance Defense Ties, Su-57 Jets on Agenda
Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s two-day state visit to India, starting Thursday, is expected to strengthen defense cooperation. Discussions may include the potential supply of Russian Su-57 stealth jets adn more S-400 air defense units – systems previously used during Operation Sindoor – to New Delhi. Despite a decrease in Russia’s share of India’s arms imports over the last 15 years, it remains the country’s largest supplier, and is being considered for expanded co-production of military hardware.
President Putin is visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 23rd India-russia Annual Summit.
“The issue of [Sukhoi] Su-57s will certainly be on the agenda during the upcoming visit,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday at an online press briefing organized by Russia’s Sputnik News. He was responding to a question about whether Russia had offered India the stealth jets. However, these talks are exploratory, and a formal agreement isn’t likely during this visit.
Russia has explored manufacturing the stealth fighter jets in India. Sources say at least one team visited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL‘s) Aircraft Manufacturing Division in Nashik to assess feasibility. The Nashik facility also repairs and overhauls the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) Russian-origin Su-30MKI combat aircraft, and has previously produced nearly 1,000 Soviet- and Russian-origin jets under license – 575 MiG-21s, 270 su-30MKIs, and 125 MiG-27s.
Peskov said the supply of additional S-400 air defense systems would also be discussed. “this issue is high on the agenda, and I have no doubt it will be discussed during the visit… I have no doubt that it will be mentioned at the highest level,” he said.
Keep reading