Defence Notes
New
Delhi, 21 July 2008
Indo-Russia Ties On Downswing
INDIA TURNS TO ISRAEL
AND ITALY
By Radhakrishna Rao
With India’s defence relations with
Russia, a one-time trusted ally running into rough weather over the Russian
insistence on a higher price tag for its defence hardware as well as the tough
time New Delhi has had in getting timely supply of reliable spares and
components from this former Communist giant, the country has been on the
outlook for alternate supply sources for defence hardware and allied services. In
particular, India’s
defense establishment is quite disturbed over the cost escalation and delay in
retrofitting the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov now known as INS
Chandragupta.
Though the USA has been
“overeager” to enter the action-packed, lucrative Indian defence market in a
big way, the Indian defence set-up has been treading cautiously in so far as clinching
defence deals with American defence contractors is concerned. Given the deeply
rooted penchant of the American political leadership, cutting across the
ideological barriers, to come out with “sanctions and trade embargos.” Plainly,
implying the annulment of the arrangement for the supply of “spares and
services’ at the most critical juncture.
Asserted the Director of the Centre
for Land Warfare Studies Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal, “Overall it is best to
diversify the supplier base and enter into technological collaboration with the
best in different fields because we always face the risk of resumption of
sanction.
Against such a backdrop, India has been increasingly leaning towards Israel to meet
the growing needs of its defence sector. Today, Israel
is the country’s second largest defence partner showing up the potential to
replace Russia
as the number one defence hardware supplier. However, the emergence of Italy is a modest way, as India’s trusted
defence partner has not gone unnoticed.
It is a tribute to the smooth
running of the Indo-Italian defence ties that Italy has proposed that the two
countries join hands for research and development in defence production.
Incidentally, in 2003, India
and Italy
had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the transfer of defence
equipment, technical assistance and defence industrial cooperation.
Both the Italian defence industry
and India’s military establishment
are convinced that the marriage of Italian expertise in the area of high tech
weapons systems with India’s
human resources skill make for a win-win combination. Moreover, the prevailing
EU defence embargo against China
implies that Italy would
need to turn to India
to promote its defence hardware and services. For India is looking at spending
around US$50-billion over the next five years as part of an ambitious exercise
to modernize and upgrade its military
machine, which till recently was dependent on the Soviets and Russia weapons
systems.
An Italian company is assisting the
Government-owned Cochin Shipyard Ltd at Kochi in
building India’s
first indigenous aircraft carrier ADS (Air Defence Ship) at an estimated cost
of Rs.20-billion. Also, the Italian firm has entered into two contractual deals
with the Cochin Shipyard with a view to help India’s realize 38,000-tonne ADS by
2012. Like the Admiral Gorchakov aircraft carrier now being retrofitted and
augmented by Russia
for the Indian Navy, the ADS too will be armed by Mig-29 MTK combat aircraft.
Further, the Italian Defence Ministry has suggested that both the countries
could very well join hands to develop combat systems for use onboard ADS.
Earlier this year, the Indian navy
also clinched an Rs.13,000-million deal with Italy for a new fleet tanker. This
tanker to be delivered by around 2010 would boost the country’s naval fleet’s endurance
in high seas by a substantial extent. On another front, the Italian FREMA stealth
frigate is in the race for grabbing an Rs.30,0000m order for 7 warships for the
use of the Indian navy.
Additionally, the Italian company is
also in the reckoning to supply 6 advanced offshore patrol vehicles to the
Indian navy and Coast Guard. It has already supplied an advanced oceanographic
survey ship to the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology. No wonder then
that Italy considers India to be a
priority country.
Meanwhile, Italy is also looking
to bag a lucrative Indian order for the supply of 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters for
use by the President and Prime Minister. Each of these helicopters carrying a
price tag of Rs.1100-million will be adequately augmented with advanced
communications systems and self protection devices.
Indeed, the Indian Air Force (IAF)
has been impressed by the performance of this triple engine Italian chopper,
AW-101 during its extensive field trials. Everything going as planned, India and Italy are likely to sign this multi-million
dollar contract sometime before the end of this year. According to defence experts,
this could perhaps be the biggest and most prestigious Italian export to India. Clearly,
the acquisition of the VVIP choppers could nudge Italian defence firms to
expand their presence in the fast-growing defence aerospace market of India.
The Italian NH-90 helicopter too is
aspiring to get the order for 16 anti-submarine warfare choppers for the use of
Indian navy. Further, this Italian firm is in the race to provide 13 ATR
turboprop maritime patrol aircraft to the Indian navy and the coast guard. Keen
on getting a possibly bigger share of the Indian defence market, the Italian
company has also offered its C-27J Spartan medium transport aircraft to the BSF,
under the Home Ministry.
Significantly, another Italian firm,
part of the Euro fighter consortium, is making vigorous efforts to get the mega
Indian defence order for the supply of 126 medium, multi-role fighter aircraft
for the IAF. Depending upon the type of the aircraft and the armament suite it
carries, the value of this order is expected to touch US$10-billion. It has invited
India
to “become a member of the successful Euro fighter family” with the offer to
allow it free access to all future technology enhancement featuring futuristic
technological elements.
In the ultimate, Italy has been slowly but surely emerging as India’s trusted
defence partner. According to SIPRI Arms Transfer data base 1998-2007, Italy occupies 12th place among the
countries that make available defence hardware and military services to India--- and
the sky is the limit. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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