India, Russia discuss expedited S-400 deliveries, Su-30 MKI upgrades
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India and Russia discussed fast-tracking S-400 missile system deliveries and Su-30 MKI upgrades in key bilateral talks during the SCO summit in Qingdao, China.
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Indian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jets perform on the first day of the Aero India 2025, a biennial event, at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (AP)
India and Russia have held high-level talks on accelerating the delivery of S-400 air defense systems, upgrading Su-30 MKI fighter jets, and fast-tracking the procurement of critical military hardware, according to the Indian Ministry of Defense.
The discussions took place during a bilateral meeting in Qingdao, China, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defense ministers' summit, between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov.
According to the statement, the talks were especially significant in light of Operation Sindoor, India's recent push to enhance defense readiness. The two sides discussed the urgent need to ramp up defense production and cooperation in key areas such as air defense systems, air-to-surface missile technology, and aircraft modernization.
“This was one of the key meetings between the defense ministers of both countries,” the ministry noted, adding that a major emphasis was placed on accelerating S-400 system deliveries, modernizing Su-30 MKI platforms, and securing high-priority military hardware on a fast-track basis.
Trump offers India F-35s instead of Su-type jets
Given that the Indian Air Force primarily relies on Russian-designed fighters, notably the Su-30MKI multirole air superiority fighter and the MiG-29, making the Russian-Indian defense partnership particularly significant, there have been efforts to lessen India's reliance on Russia's defense sector.
In February, United States President Donald Trump announced that the country would look to significantly increase military sales to India, "to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters."
Trump, who spoke at a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoped to increase arms exports to India by "many billions of dollars."
Outside of NATO, only "Israel", Japan, and South Korea operate fifth-generation stealth fighters, placing India in an exclusive group if the deliveries are made. The country has long been in pursuit of a fifth-generation stealth fighter and even partnered with Russia to develop one, however, it pulled out in 2018 following complications.
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