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Russia, India Prolonged Military Cooperation
Russia’s Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his Indian counterpart Arakkaparambil Kurian Antony agreed in New Delhi yesterday to extend the program for Russia’s-Indian military and technical cooperation for another ten years, up to the year of 2020.
The parties decided to prolong the program during the eighth sitting of the intergovernmental commission for military and technical cooperation. Russia’s Defense Minister emphasized that the highlight would be joint development of weapons. In this respect, the most renowned project is the joint design and production of BrahMos cruise missile.
Apart from promoting new projects, Russia and India have to settle the problems generated by poor quality of supplied weapons and the breach of delivery dates.
In 2007, for instance, India rejected to accept diesel-electric submarine of Project 877EKM (Varshavyanka) due to the problems with Club-S missiles. They also turned down upgraded IL-38SD antisubmarine jets because of defects in the search and rescue system.
The lingering upgrade of heavy aircraft cruiser Admiral Gorshkov (Vikramaditya) at Sevmash shipyard was in the limelight yesterday. The respective contract was inked far back in 2004. Russia claimed around $1 billion in addition in late 2007, and India agreed to $600 million.
Serdyukov said that Russia had presented proposals for the increase in the work scope and the respective increase in the costs, while the Indian minister responded that those proposals had been considered.
What’s more, it is known that India will acquire additional consignment of MiG-29K deck fighters for Vikramaditya. The basic contract provided for deliveries of 16 MiG-29Ks, but specified the option for another 30 deck fighters. In the end, India decided to buy a fighter less. The contract budget is estimated at around $2 billion.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 30, 2008
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