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State-run Russian Helicopters have orders worth 388 billion rubles ($11.8 billion) through to 2020 in many countries, including India [Xinhua]
Sergey Goreslavsky said during the 11th Aero India exhibition in Bangalore that India had signed purchase contracts for Russian armaments worth $4 billion through Rosoboronexport in 2016.
He expects this to increase in 2017.
The exhibition focuses on aerospace, defense and defense engineering, civil aviation and airport infrastructure and includes more than 750 global and domestic
India and Russia have for the past 70 years signed dozens of defense contracts.
The latest deal in the works involves updating India’s ageing helicopter fleet – comprised of Cheetah and Chetak choppers – with the more advanced Kamov 226T aircraft in a joint venture between Russian Helicopters, Rosoboronexport and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
The deal, which has not yet been signed, would have the production line based in India with a scheduled output of 200 Ka-226Ts worth around $1 billion.
Meanwhile, the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) is still hoping to sign with India a delivery contract for an advanced air defense system.
FSMTC chief Alexander Fomin said that he would like to see the S-400 surface to air missile battery system delivered to India by the end of this year.
India and Russia have been in talks for the sale of the weapons system for more than a year.
And just over a year ago, India’s Reliance Defence announced it had entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Russia’s largest shipbuilder, United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) and Rosoboronexport with an aim to get $10 billion worth of business in manufacturing, refitting and modernisation of surface vessels for the Indian Navy.
The agreement focuses on modernisation and re-fitting of all Russian-origin surface warships of the Indian Navy at Reliance’s newly acquired facility in Pipavav.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
