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India’s 3-pronged approach when arms supply from Russia is difficult

India has long considered diversifying the supply of weapons, even producing a lot of military equipment itself. This goal has become even more urgent since Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine.

India has determined it wants domestic companies to produce $324 million worth of military equipment this year and avoid foreign purchases, according to a defense ministry demand list posted online.

“The world order and the current unstable geopolitical scenario also help us to draw lessons. If we want to ensure stability and certainty, the only option is to rely entirely on ourselves or establish ourselves. sustainable domestic self-sufficiency,” Indian Air Force Commander Vibhas Pande told defense manufacturers in New Delhi.

However, Mr. Pande did not specifically mention the conflict in Ukraine.

The Indian Air Force is currently looking for equipment for the Russian-designed Sukhoi fighter jet and propellers for the Ukrainian-made Antonov transport plane.

Mr. Pande said that within 3 years, the Indian Air Force aims to use all tires and kits for important fleets of aircraft from domestic companies such as MRF.

A senior government official also said that India aims to produce about half of its military equipment in the country.

The Ministry of Defense has not yet responded to a request for comment on India’s reliance on Russian military assets and whether the Russia-Ukraine war is a concern.

Brahma Chellaney, a defense and strategic affairs analyst in New Delhi, said that Russian weapons and military equipment are used by India quite a lot, although in recent years New Delhi has increased its procurement from other countries such as USA, France and Israel.

“The defense transition is always a slow process. It is very difficult to change suppliers overnight,” said Mr. Chellaney.

India has about 1.38 million people working in the armed forces and is the world’s largest arms importer, spending $12.4 billion from 2018-2021, of which Russian weapons and equipment accounts for $5.52 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The Indian Army is equipped with Russian-made tanks and Kalashikov rifles. The Indian Air Force operates Sukhoi fighters and Mi-17 transport helicopters, while the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was previously part of the Russian naval fleet.

In recent months, a number of Western partners, including the UK and the US, have expressed their willingness to provide more military equipment to India.

3-point approach

According to a government official, the Indian Army is taking a three-pronged approach to maintain readiness.

The Indian government is checking to see which Eastern European countries use weapons and equipment similar to the Indian army and can provide ammunition and spare parts.

“In the event that supplies (from Russia) are disrupted, we still have alternatives,” the Indian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Besides, India is also urging Russia to implement some key projects that the two sides have agreed in advance. These include both the supply of S-400 systems and an agreement to manufacture more than 600,000 Kalashnikov AK-203 rifles at a new factory in Northern India.

Several Indian companies have been seeing the impact of promoting diversification and localization of supply.

According to a source in the Indian defense industry, at small arms manufacturer PLR Systems – a joint venture between Adani and Israel Weapon Industries, the number of offers for assault rifles has increased sharply since when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out.

PLR Systems proposes the Israeli-designed Galil ACE rifle as an alternative to the Russian Kalashnikov rifle.

“The current demand for rifles is mainly from the states as well as the central armed police force. Currently, none of them can buy rifles from outside,” an Indian official said. /.

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