Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit India’s traditional partner, Russia. In Moscow, this visit will reassure that Indo-Russian friendship stands on firm footing. PM Modi will be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The general perception that India is inching towards the Western fold is not backed by full-ground reality, and New Delhi clearly believes in strategic autonomy.
India did remain neutral in the Ukraine conflict. Despite the US’ pressures and the threat of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), India did go ahead with the S-400 deal with Russia. Despite Western sanctions and tacit pressures, India stepped up petroleum purchases from Russia and continued rupee-based trade.
President Putin has made nine visits to India, three during PM Modi’s tenure (2016, 2018, and 2021). The last was in December 2021, just a few months before the Ukraine invasion. Interestingly, Putin has made 20 visits to China. PM Modi has made five visits to Russia, in contrast to eight to the US since he became prime minister in 2014. The first visit to Russia was in December 2015. This month’s trip to Moscow is his first visit to the city since 2015. He had met Putin in St Petersburg in 2017, in Sochi in 2018, and in Vladivostok in 2019. The two countries have had a decades-old annual India-Russia summit format. While the very strongman Putin is less focused on showmanship and visible rhetoric, Putin-Modi chemistry has been visible in their body language.
India-Soviet cooperation began in the 1950s with steel plants, large infrastructure including dams, nuclear plants, and cooperation in space, but the most enduring has been the defence equipment purchases by India. When the time was at its peak, Indian armed forces had nearly 80 per cent defence hardware of Soviet or Russian origin, and the figure still remains at 60 per cent. India’s desire to look West for sourcing some high-end military hardware has been of concern to the Russians.
Russians have stood by India, and in August 1971, as an insurance against a possible US or China threat to support Pakistan in the Indo-Pak war, the Soviet Union signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation with India. This has since become an India-Russia strategic partnership and includes summit and 2+2 dialogue levels. India and Russia also work closely at BRICS, SCO, and RIC, among other forums.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsModi-Putin talks on July 8–9 are likely to discuss the Ukraine war, resolving payment issues, the supply of military hardware, and major military logistics agreements. Both wanted to take the relationship to the next level. “The bond between the people of Russia and India is very strong. Our nations have stood by each other through thick and thin," PM Modi had said during his last visit.
Military aviation remains the biggest Indo-Russian “Bear Hug” with the most significant hardware transfers.
The Aviation Connection Begins
Indo-Soviet political closeness began in the early 1950s due to the evolving geo-political situation and the reluctance of the Western powers to transfer state-of-the-art military hardware to newly independent, non-aligned India. In the mid-1950s, the Indian Air Force (IAF) received Ilyushin IL-14 turboprop medium cargo aircraft. Mi-4 helicopters were inducted starting in the early 1960s and became part of the military ‘folklore’ after the ‘Megna’ river crossing operation in the 1971 war. Around the same time, 10-ton payload-class An-12 transport aircraft were inducted. These were used in the 1962 war for air-lifting army reinforcements. In the 1971 war they were also used for heavy bombing.
The MiG and Sukhoi Fighters Dominate IAF
In 1962, the Soviets agreed to transfer technology to co-produce the MiG-21 aircraft in India, something they had earlier denied to China. Nearly 11,500 MiG-21s were built around the world; India inducted or built more than 1,200, the last of which are still flying. In the 1971 Indo-Pak war, an IAF MiG-21 shot down its bete-noire, the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) Lockheed Starfighter F-104, in air combat. The MiG-21 formation’s rocket strike on December 14, 1971, on the government house at Dacca was instrumental in forcing the surrender of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan.
The Soviets helped India set up license production of MiG-21 in the early 1960s. Three new divisions of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) were created at Nasik (aircraft), Koraput (engines), and Hyderabad (avionics). These factories were to later build, overhaul, and upgrade all types of Russian aircraft. In the mid-1960s, the IAF also inducted swept-wing high-speed Sukhoi SU-7B strike aircraft.
The swing-wing MiG 23 aircraft and its air defence variant, MiG-23MF, joined the IAF in the early 1980s. A more advanced strike variant of the MiG-23, the MiG-27, was inducted in 1986, and these were assembled in India and later upgraded.
The Soviets developed MiG-29s and Su-27s in the 1970s to counter the American F-16 and F-15 aircraft. The highly manoeuvrable MiG-29 with a modern airborne radar and a host of advanced air-to-air missiles joined the IAF in the mid-1980s. Upgraded variants of these will continue to fly for at least a decade.
125 MiG-21 Bis (Bison) aircraft were upgraded jointly with Russia starting in the late 1990s. The last of these will phase out shortly. Wg Cdr Abhinanadan, while flying a ‘Bison’ shot down a PAF F-16 in February 2019.
Nearly 45 per cent of the IAF’s fighter fleet is currently made up of the super-manoeuvrable air superiority fighter Sukhoi SU-30MKI. Jointly developed with Russia in early 2000, it is under license production by HAL. Nearly 272 were inducted, and these will soon see a major upgrade.
The Transport and Rotary Wing Fleet
Specially made for the IAF, the An-32 medium transport aircraft started inducting in 1984. Of the 125 bought, nearly 100 aircraft are still operating and have been upgraded. IAF also acquired the 40-ton-plus payload multi-purpose four-engine strategic airlifter IL-76. IAF continues to operate the IL-76MD (freighter), IL-78MKI (air refueler), and the ‘A-50’ with Israeli Phalcon radar as AWACs. IL-76s, along with the An-32, are the work-horse of the IAF and logistically sustain the Indian Army in the Northern Himalayas and for intertheater air transportation.
Mid-sized utility and assault helicopter Mi-8s joined the IAF in the early 1980s. Capable of carrying up to 24 troops, they were also used for VVIP communication duties. Subsequently, more advanced versions of the Mi-17, Mi-17-1V, and Mi-17V-5s followed. Significant numbers of Mi-17s are also being acquired by the home ministry for BSF. IAF also acquired heavy-lift Mi-26 helicopters, three of which are still operating. The first dedicated attack helicopters of the IAF, Mi-25/35, were acquired in 1983.
Missiles and Maritime Assets
India also got its first set of missiles from the Soviets. K-13 was the first generation of air-to-air missiles that came with MiG-21s. R-73, R-27, and R-77 RVVAE were among those that followed. Similarly, SA-2 (Dvina) was India’s first surface-to-air missile. SA-3 Pechora and SAM-8 joined the armed forces later. The state-of-the-art, jointly developed Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise missile is already under induction in the Indian armed forces. The IAF has also inducted the formidable S-400 air defence system. Three have been delivered, and the remaining two systems will be installed by 2026.
By the early 1980s, the Indian Naval air-arm was dominated by many types of Russian maritime fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. These included the Ilyushin IL38, the Tupelov Tu-142M, and many Kamov Ka-25, Ka-28 and Ka-31 helicopters. The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (Ex Russian Gorshkov) is an important element of the long Russian aviation connection with the Indian Navy. They also inducted aircraft carrier capable MiG-29Ks.
Life Cycle Costs and Serviceability
For many years, the Russians kept offering India state-of-the-art systems that were denied by the West. They were relatively cheap and available in barter for Indian goods. Notwithstanding the low initial hardware cost, the life cycle costs were invariably high, and the system serviceability was often low. Low serviceability was also a result of a long repair cycle involving complex export-import procedures. Attempts to introduce a door-to-door spare delivery system have only been partially successful.
Russians in the IAF’s MRFA
Russia has pitched in two aircraft for India’s 114-aircraft Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRFA) project, which has yet to unfold fully. The MiG-35 was earlier a part of the 126 aircraft Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and has been evaluated. The aircraft is a derivative of the MiG 29. IAF’s MiG 29s have gone through a recent upgrade and, on a few counts, have come up to a similar level. Not many MiG 35s have been built or sold, and India is conscious of this.
The Su-35 is the second aircraft. The aircraft is part of the Su-27/30 family. The IAF is in the process of upgrading the Su-30 MKI fleet. Effectively, the aircraft will become closer to or even better than the Su-35. Only China has bought 24 aircraft. The total numbers built are still very small. The Russia-Ukraine war also has its dynamics. There are dollar payment limitations. The Russian industry is busy meeting the requirements of the Russian Air Force.
Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft
In 2007, Russia and India signed a contract between Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly develop a derivative of the evolving Su-57, called the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). In 2010, both countries agreed on a preliminary design contract where each country was to invest $6 billion. The development of the FGFA was expected to take 8–10 years. By 2014, there were issues related to performance, cost, and work-sharing. India eventually left the partnership in 2018. The reported base price of the aircraft is unbelievably as little as $35 million. Russia still hopes to get India on board its Su-57 ‘Felon’ or Su-75 ‘Checkmate’, both of which are still under development.
Indo-Russian MTA Project
The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) of India began a joint venture in 2009 to build a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA). Each side pitched in US$300 million for the project. The aircraft was intended to replace the IAF’s Antonov An-32 transport aircraft. India would acquire 45 aircraft and Russia 105. Both governments agreed to produce the aircraft for their respective armed forces and for friendly third-party countries and to develop a civilian variant of the MTA in the form of a 100-seater passenger aeroplane, for which HAL will be the lead partner and principal integrator.
The 20-ton payload twin-engine aircraft was a smaller Il-76 look alike platform with an expected range of 2,500 kilometres. In January 2016, it was announced that, due to technical reasons, India’s HAL would no longer be involved in the project and that Russia was proceeding with the project alone. The aircraft designated as the Ilyushin Il-276 is now being developed by UAC. In February 2023, on the sidelines of the Aero India 2023 air show, a Russian delegation from Rostec held talks with Indian officials on the possibility of the joint development of the Il-276. However, India would prefer the aircraft to come with a European engine instead of a Russian engine, which is unlikely to be possible for Russia to propose. The new contenders to India’s Make-in-India MTA are the Airbus A-400, Lockheed Martin C-130, and Embraer C-390.
Way Ahead
The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), which was set up in 2000, is at the apex of the structure. With China gradually becoming independent, India is one of the main markets for Russian defence equipment. There are working groups at the MoD level. The Ukraine conflict has delayed both dialogue and action as Russian industry is trying to meet the war requirements. In view of US financial sanctions, dollar payments had to stop. Rupee payments have their own dynamics due to excessive Indian imports.
The BrahMos joint venture to produce supersonic air, sea, and land-launched cruise missiles, some of which are already being exported, has been a success. India and Russia continue to cooperate closely in space, including India’s forthcoming first human space flight, the Gaganyaan Mission. The Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) joint venture has been established, and it has started production of AK-203 rifles in India under the “Make in India” initiative. India and Russia are trying to push the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, and the Polar Route.
India and Russia are planning to sign a joint military logistics pact. It will aim to enhance their defence partnership and grant mutual access to each other’s military facilities. This includes the Russian Navy operating in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and India in the Arctic. The pact is designed to streamline procedures for joint exercises and operations, ensuring seamless coordination between the two countries’ military units. The agreement will facilitate smoother logistics and operational support for both Indian and Russian military units. This includes easier access to military bases, streamlined procedures for joint exercises, and improved visa and immigration protocols for military personnel.
India’s umbilical cord of military hardware, including spare parts and repairs, with Russia will continue for decades to come. As India pushes ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence production, it shall be its endeavour to reduce the high dependence on Russia. But that could be nearly two decades away. It is important for India to keep its time-tested friendship on strong footing. The policy of ‘Strategic Autonomy’ is the best approach.
The writer is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.