India and Russia have signed defence contracts worth $15 billion in the past three years with huge purchases such as the S-400 missile system, said Viktor N Kladov, director for international cooperation and regional policy, Rostec, a state-owned Russian defence and industrial group.
“CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) is not against Russia. It’s against third countries cooperating with Russia, so it is for the Indian side on how to protect itself. When it comes to our side, we are very helpful. For instance, we protect our banking systems by doing payments in national currencies,” Kladov said while speaking during Army 2021.
He further said that the delivery of the S-400 air defence missile system is on time as per the schedule. India is likely to receive the first batch of these massive missile systems in October-December this year. The second batch of military training to operate the defence system is presently underway in Russia. “We maintain the same level of military cooperation despite challenges posed by Covid-19,” Kladov added.
Kladov acknowledging a tight competition with the US and France in stepping up defence cooperation with India said, “We have improved the quality of equipment and plan to set up a joint venture with related companies in India to service equipment. A representative is already there discussing with the government of India to set up the registration of the company. We have forwarded our proposal on P-75 I submarines to the Indian Navy. Discussion is also underway for the upgrade of Su-30s fighter jets.”
