Armament for the three seas
India is increasing the number of suppliers, hoping to fully localize the production of drug productsSpeaking in the Indian parliament, Secretary of Defense Arun Jaitley announced that the United States had become the largest arms supplier to India, ahead of Russia. For three years, the United States has supplied India with armaments totaling 5,4 billion dollars. India spent 4,2 billion for the purchase of Russian technology in the specified period of time. The third and fourth largest suppliers were France and Israel. In total, the Indians purchased for this three-year period foreign military products for almost 14 billions of dollars.
Despite the fact that during the recent visit of US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to India, no projects in the field of defense industry were announced, military-technical cooperation between the countries continues to develop. Official announcements about new programs are expected soon.
Looking for a compromise
During the year, negotiations are underway to jointly produce the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile system (ATGW). In the event of a positive decision, this project will be the first example of the manufacture of American military equipment in India. The announcement of the relevant agreement was expected to coincide with Hagel's visit (August 7 – 9). However, the representative of the US Department of Defense said that the negotiations have not yet been completed, noting that the American side is offering fourth-generation anti-tank systems. Earlier, the United States planned to provide India with less sophisticated weapons. It was about the third generation Javelin.
According to the Indian military expert Venkataraman Mahalingam, brigadier general of the reserve, key statements regarding joint defense projects will be made during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States. “During the trip of the American Minister of Defense to India, no agreements were supposed to be signed,” said Mahalingum. - Over the course of time, the United States, within the framework of the Indian DTTI (Defense Trade and Technology Initiative) program, has offered to jointly develop and manufacture elements of military products, including the Javelin anti-tank missile system, MH-60 multi-purpose helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and distance mine-laying gunners. , as well as other military equipment. Time is needed for a competent assessment of the feasibility of these proposals. ”
The signing of agreements on the joint production or purchase of armaments is likely to be difficult due to the formation of a new government of India, which only began to work at the end of May. In addition, it is known that the country is not in a hurry to implement the deal on the joint production of Javelins, insisting on the mandatory transfer of technology of all versions of the complex. Experts believe that India should not limit itself to the version of ATGN with a range of 2,5 kilometer, and note the need to obtain the most modern version, which provides defeat targets at a distance of 4,5 kilometer.
At the talks with Modi Hagel, it was decided to replace the Indian official responsible for the production of military equipment. Previously this position was held by the national security adviser. He was replaced by the Minister for the production of weapons products according to the program DTTI. The representative from the American side appointed the Deputy US Secretary of Defense for Procurement, Technology and Logistics Support Frank Kendall.
"The participation of Indian Defense Minister Arun Jethli in the DTTI program is a clear proof of the intention of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen relations with other countries in the production and procurement of weapons products at the highest level," said Professor Bharat Karnad of the Indian Center for Political Studies.
“The national security adviser would not be able to be responsible for military-technical cooperation with the United States due to the incompatibility of his position with the problems raised,” said Rajesvari Pillei Rajagopalan, senior security researcher at ORF (Observer Research Foundation). - On the American side, the responsibility of the Minister of Defense. Therefore, the participation of the head of the Indian Defense Ministry is also necessary. At the moment, the person holding the post of national security adviser is more an expert on the internal problems of the country and could not fully represent the country at the talks. ”
Mahindra Singh, in turn, draws attention to the fact that, until now, the US-Indian military-technical cooperation was based on the acquisition of ready-made DFM, and not on its joint production.
After the United States-India relations were lifted in 2001, imposing sanctions on the sale and purchase of weapons products, the United States supplied about nine billion dollars in weapons and military equipment to that country. The total portfolio of orders concluded at the intergovernmental level over the past five years exceeds six billion.
According to analysts, India would prefer to develop military-technical cooperation with the United States with more emphasis on technology transfer, rather than on the acquisition of weapons.
“The US-Indian relations are currently at a standstill due to the lack of a basis for their further strengthening,” said Bharat Karnad. - The issue of technology transfer is crucial for New Delhi. At the same time, Washington is more interested in selling already produced weapons. ”
According to other experts, time is needed to establish stronger military-technical ties. “Now the main problem is to establish contacts with the new government in New Delhi. This process began quite recently and will probably take time, ”said military expert Rahul Bhonsi, brigadier general of the reserve of the Indian armed forces, expressed his opinion. - In technology transfer, mutual regulation, the structure of the DIC, there are white spots, which are probably noticeable to a small number of specialists in both countries. Therefore, the process of building relationships is difficult. "
Both countries nevertheless come to the conclusion that there are great opportunities for deepening the PTS. “At the moment, the potential of relations between the US and India in this area has not been revealed. Until recently, the main obstacle was the policy of the government of the United Progressive Alliance, which lacked a clear strategy for building relations with the United States. To some extent, this was contributed by Defense Minister Arakkaparambil Anthony, who was leaning towards leftist convictions, ”said Rajesvari Pillay Rajagopalan.
Resources and Plans
Since 2000, the military budget of India has increased by 74 percent and in 2010-m reached 40,8 billion dollars or about two percent of GDP. When compared with other Asian countries, its defense spending is currently only inferior to China (120 billion dollars in 2010) and Japan (about 60 billion).
In the 2012 – 2013 fiscal year, India’s military budget increased another 17 percent and exceeded 42 billion dollars. Including more than 15,7 billion was spent on the purchase of modern weapons systems and military equipment.
As highlighted in the report on defense trade between the US and India for 2013 a year, relations in this area have been progressively progressing over a decade and become a key component in bilateral cooperation. India, in particular, participates jointly with the USA in more than 50 annual military exercises, more often than any other country. Since the middle of the last decade, New Delhi has received transport and sea patrol aircraft, equipment for special forces, ground-based radar, amphibious assault ships, guided missiles. At the end of the fiscal year 2011, India became the third largest buyer of US arms, signing contracts worth 4,5 billion.
And although New Delhi significantly disappointed Washington by not concluding a contract for the supply of 126 multipurpose combat fighters according to the results of the MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) tender, when the proposals of Boeing (F / A-18) and Lockheed Martin were rejected (F-16), however, immediately after this decision, the Indian leadership approved a deal for the purchase of X-NUMX military transport aircraft C-10 Globemaster III worth 17 billion dollars.
As a result of 2007 – 2011, India became the largest importer of weapons and military equipment (10 percent of the world arms and military equipment market), and by 2025, it plans to implement a number of important military programs, spending about 200 billions of weapons to purchase. Although the modernization of the armed forces and the strengthening of defense capabilities are carried out in the country in accordance with the existing threats, in the future, the military potential of India will allow to project force beyond South Asia.
India’s largest military contracts aviation technique. Among them - the purchase of six military transport aircraft C-130J-30 Hercules in 2008 (worth $ 962 million), eight P-8I Poseidon marine patrol aircraft (2 billion), ten heavy military transport aircraft C-17A Globemaster III (4,1 billion). In July, Lockheed Martin received a contract of almost $ 565 million for the production of another six tactical S-130J-30s for the Indian Air Force. It is also planned to order six C-17A and four P-8I.
Other American military installations acquired by India in recent years include the Indian amphibious and landing craft dock "Dzhalashva" (former Austin-type Trenton FSCD with a displacement of 16 900 tons, the contract value is 48 million dollars), six second-hand helicopters S-61 / H-3A "Sea King" (39 million dollars), 20 anti-ship missiles RGM-84L "Harpoon-2" (170 million dollars), 512 aeronautical means of destruction of the CBU-97 SFW with non-contact fuses ), 258 turbojet bypass engine with F41-GE-IN404 orssage combustion chamber (TRDDF) to equip the first squadron of 20 light combat aircraft (LBS) Tejas (the first contract for 20 engines - 17 million dollars, the second for 105 engine - 24 million), 100 TRDF 99 million dollars) to equip LBS "Tejas" Mk.414.
The ground forces of India from the United States are receiving 155-mm ultralight howitzer M777. Deliveries are made under an intergovernmental agreement on the purchase of 145 implements of this type for a total amount of 647 million dollars. However, already this year, the M777 purchases may be discontinued due to the increased cost of the howitzers.
“Alternative M777 options can be twice as cheap,” said a spokesman for the Indian Defense Ministry in June 2014. “Manufacturing Dhanush’s own howitzer costs DKNXX million rupees (about 140 million dollars) per unit.”
The “Field Artillery Modernization Plan” is estimated at three to five billion dollars. It provides for the purchase of 3600 155-mm light (with 39 barrel length caliber), as well as towed, wheeled and tracked (with 52 barrel length caliber) howitzers for 180 from 220 artillery regiments that are part of the ground forces of India. This program aims to replace and standardize the fleet of tools, which mainly consists of Soviet-made systems. Field artillery upgrades are scheduled for completion in 2020 – 2025.
The United States has the prospect of delivering AH-22D Apache helicopters from Boeing company worth 64 billion dollars to the Indian 1,4 market. The US Defense Cooperation and Security Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of a decision to sell Harpoon anti-ship missiles (ASMs) intended for submarines to India for 22. The total cost of the proposed agreement is 200 million dollars. In the case of its implementation, deliveries will be conducted under the program of military assistance to foreign states FMS (Foreign Military Sales). In 2012, India requested weapons for four diesel-electric submarines (EPTL) project 209 / 1500 (Type 209 / 1500 SSK) produced by the German company HDW, which had previously been serviced. It was supposed to buy 12 RG UGM-84L "Harpoon" in the variant block-2 (Block II) EM (Encapsulated missiles) and 10 training torpedoes UGM-84L. The delivery of two simulators, launchers and spare parts, the training of Indian service personnel, and full logistic support for these weapons were also expected.
Great ambitions
The United States actively competes with Russia for the title of the largest supplier of weapons and military equipment to India. Last October, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said that the implementation of joint development and production with the United States would strengthen the strategic partnership between the countries, but not at the expense of New Delhi’s ties with Moscow. “Everyone knows that we must diversify and expand our relationship. But we do not do this at the cost of connections with our traditional friends. The large-scale cooperation between India and Russia is growing rapidly, ”the Press Trust of India agency quotes the head of the foreign affairs agency.
Nevertheless, the fact remains. In the last three years, the United States has become the largest arms supplier to India, ahead of Russia. This, of course, does not mean that the supply of US military products completely exceeded the same imports from the Russian Federation. In August 2014, an Indian informed source in the defense industry said that if we take the total volume of military-technical cooperation, Russia is ahead of other countries. Direct deliveries of weapons are only a small part of the cooperation, which includes joint projects, and licensed production, and contracts for servicing already delivered equipment. “The portfolio of Indian orders for Russian equipment formed today until 2020 is $ 20 billion and will only expand,” the source emphasized. The Russian Federation and India, in particular, are jointly working on BrahMos cruise missiles and the 5th generation fighter project. In India, they are gathering under license Tanks T-90S and Su-30MKI aircraft. Nevertheless, in recent years, Russian manufacturers have lost tenders for the supply of multi-role fighters, attack and military transport helicopters, tanker aircraft.
In the Indian media, it was noted that the desire to expand the list of suppliers of drug related to the violation of the terms of contract execution. “India deliberately tried to diversify its arms imports from 1999, due to the fact that Russia is prone to not adhere to delivery schedules, raise prices in the middle of contract execution, create obstacles in technology transfer,” wrote the Times of India newspaper in early August. “The long-awaited supply of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) and the enormous increase in its value were a vivid example of this.”
The Indian Express newspaper believes that in defense purchases, the government is guided primarily by the price-quality ratio. “Nevertheless, a country like India, which has great ambitions,” the publication emphasizes, “cannot afford to depend on others for defense needs.” It is necessary to raise its own defense industry to a level that will satisfy all the needs of national security by sources within the country, states the Indian Express.
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