After China clash India hunts for weapons at Russian expo

A big Indian team is at the Russian military expo in Moscow looking to buy weapons and seal new collaborations. It is a significant visit in the backdrop of serious tension with China, writes senior journalist Sanjib Kr Baruah.

New Delhi:Led by the defence secretary (production), a delegation comprising at least 15 Indian defence ministry officials and a few Indian industry representatives has been looking around for weapons and military equipment to buy even while scouting for joint collaborations with the Russian defence industry at the ARMY-2020.

Hosted by the Russian defence ministry, ARMY-2020 is a Russian military expo where military hardware is showcased for striking commercial deals.

The Indian hunt is significant in the backdrop of a dangerously-poised faceoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries that emanated from a series of brawls and encounters in eastern Ladakh and one incident in north Sikkim from May onwards. The worst incident was in the Galwan Valley on June 15 where at least 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives while China has not been open about its casualty numbers.

The ugly turn to the India-China relationship has also activated the defence ministry's emergency procurement process on the watch of the vice-chiefs of the three branches of the armed forces.

More than 100 contracts — each with an upper limit of Rs 500 crore — are already in the pipeline under emergency procurement due to the border crisis in the ongoing financial year as against 12-15 contracts that were usually inked in the past years.

With about 1,00,000 military personnel and a range of assets deployed on both sides of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and in the depth areas, both militaries are making hectic preparations for the winter stay which is extremely harsh and inhospitable in the Himalayan high altitudes.

Read:With Gunners making their own guns, Army's Artillery scripts a success story

While the Indian officials are expected to fly back to New Delhi on Tuesday night, the last couple of days had seen them very busy in back-to-back meetings with Russian government officials and defence industry leaders.

Besides the secretary and industry representatives, the Indian team comprises officials from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), various DPSUs like Goa Shipyards Limited, etc.

An official who is part of the delegation, told ETV Bharat on condition of anonymity: "The Russians were very appreciative of the 'Make in India' effort and one could see their willingness to collaborate with India especially on the lines of successful joint ventures like the Brahmos missile or the Sukhoi 30 MKI production both of which are now being produced in India."

Declining to speak of what transpired on the likely India-Russia deal on the AK 203 assault rifle, the official however confirmed that the deal to first import and then locally produce the AK 203 assault rifle was part of the deliberations.

The official also confirmed that there were meetings between the Indian delegation and officials from the Irkut Corporation, the makers of the Sukhoi fighter, who will be showcasing the export-oriented much-touted Sukhoi 57 fifth-generation multirole fighter for the first time.

Read:President Xi orders eating lessons for PLA: No wasting 'Chinese food' on plate

Yet to be operational with the Russian air force, the Su 57, with stealth capability, will be first used by Russia's Western Military District.

Worldwide, the US F-22 and F-35 and the Chinese J-20 are the only three known stealth fighters to be deployed with the respective militaries. Su 57 would be the first Russian fighter.

Recently, China was reported to have deployed two of its J-20 fighters at the Hotan air base, one of the nearest Chinese military airbases from the LAC and one that is expected to play a vital role in case of the outbreak of an open conflict with India.