Translated material
Protection of the Indian sky
On Friday in Delhi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed on the supply of five regiments of the S-400 “Triumph” anti-aircraft missile systems. The total transaction amount is reported that it exceeds $ 5 billion.
The first agreement on the supply of the S-400 was signed back in October 2016 during the meeting of Putin and Modi in the state of Goa at the Brix summit. In May 2018, the press wrote that Moscow and Delhi agreed on the details of the contract: it was about five regiments (ten divisions) of anti-aircraft missile systems.
On August 20, the director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) Dmitry Shugaev said that Russia has reduced the price of the S-400 for India, as the republic is a strategic partner ”of Russia explained. Moreover, as stated, concessions at the final price were made "without the detriment of themselves."
Loading ammunition S-400 / YouTube.comThe deal was at risk of a breakdown due to the fact that the United States actively opposed it. Washington even threatened India with sanctions - it would be the so -called “Secondary sanctions”, that is, restrictions imposed on legal entities of third countries for relations with Russian companies and structures from the sanctions list-earlier for secondary sanctions due to contacts with Russia, the Department of Equipment of the Chinese Army and its director Lee the chance fell. However, this structure of the Chinese army is most likely not engaged in the purchase of American equipment and did not store its assets in the United States, so the sanctions can be considered more significant.
At the beginning of the week, the Indian edition of Economic Times reported with reference to its sources in the country's government, which, despite the threat of sanctions, the S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems will still be acquired for $ 5.43 billion. The final decision was to be adopted by the Security Government Committee. It is possible that just to make this decision the visit of Vladimir Putin to India, which began on October 4, is dedicated.
Responsible for the military-industrial complex, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, said that Moscow and Delivee take into account sanctions pressure, take into account the possibility of delayed payments and take appropriate measures. Borisov added that the Russian and Indian sides will head for calculations in national currencies.
Pack of Indian rupees / pixabay.comAccording to the Stockholm International Institute for the Research of Peace (StockHolm International Peace Research Institute, Sipri), in 2000-2014, India was the largest importer of weapons in the world. Moreover, about three quarters of all Indian weapons - Soviet or Russian origin. The annual volume of transactions in the military-technical sphere between Moscow and Delhi is billions of dollars. In 2015, it was reported that Russia put in India weapons and military equipment worth at least $ 4 billion. In 2016, contracts worth about 2 billion were signed, and in 2017-again by 4 billion.
India’s transfer of the S-400 complex is a sign of special confidence in the Indian leadership, this is one of the newest Russian developments, which is in service with the Russian army. For India, airspace protection is an urgent problem - military clashes with Pakistan occur regularly from the moment of the British India division into two parts in 1947, and with China, India had two border conflicts in 1962 and 1967.