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Russia vows not to give Su-30 knowhow to other countries

Tara Shankar Sahay

Russia has agreed not to transfer to other countries technology of Russian-made defence equipment sold to India, according to highly-placed defence ministry officials.

The officials said it was during the just-concluded three-day talks on bilateral military-technical cooperation that the Indian delegation made the request to its Russian counterpart. The military hardware mentioned included the Su-30 aircraft, some of which Russia has also sold to China. The Russians pointed out that the fighters were sold to China at a price 15 to 20 per cent higher than paid by India.

But Moscow sought payment for its advanced military hardware in hard currency and not the exchange arrangement earlier envisaged. It was pointed out that the Russian's rupee pool was so large that it now proposed to auction it off. The Russians gave an assurance that this would be done in a phased manner so that it had no adverse impact on the rupee in the international market.

The Indian side also reportedly told the Russian delegation that while New Delhi was prepared for a review of the prices of advanced hardware, there should be no further demand in this context. New Delhi was also insistent that the indigenisation of the technology required from Moscow should be accelerated.

China had also reportedly demanded price parity with New Delhi on the Su-30 aircraft sold to them. But the Russians allegedly shot down the request stating that their country had spent a fortune establishing infrastructure and extending training facilities since the Chinese were less able to absorb the advanced technology of the Su-30.

The Russian delegation, led by their first secretary and first deputy defence minister Nikolai V Mikhailov, also met Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief of Air Staff, S K Sareen and Foreign Secretary K Raghunath. The Indian side was led by Defence Secretary Ajit Kumar.

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