52 THE WEEK • JULY 21, 2019
DEFENCE
INDIA-US DEALS- Worth over $2.5 billion; will be
used by all three services - India would be the first country
outside the NATO alliance to get
such a weapon from Washington - Has both land and naval versions
- Armed with air-to-land missiles,
anti-ship missiles and laser-guided
bombs; has long endurance
30 ARMED SEA GUARDIAN
(PREDATOR-B) DRONESNATIONAL ADVANCED
SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE SYSTEM-II- Worth $1 billion
- Can track and shoot down
multiple aerial threats in a 9/11
type of attack - Mobile surveillance radars
- 12 missile launchers for quicker
reaction - Each launcher can carry six
AIM-120-series advanced
medium-range, air-to-air missiles
or surface-to-air missiles
BEFORE US SECRETARY of State
Michael Pompeo met External Affairs
Minister S. Jaishankar on June 26, he
called on National Security Adviser
Ajit Doval at the latter's office in
South Block. Pompeo had defence
deals worth $25 billion on his mind.
Though Russia has traditionally
been India's biggest arms suppli-
er, the US is now challenging that
hegemony. As per figures complied
by the Stockholm International
Peace Research Institute, India's
defence purchases from the US
have increased by a whopping 569
per cent from 2013 to 2018. India
now buys 15 per cent of its defence
equipment from the US. In the same
time, defence imports from Russia
came down to 58 per cent. In the 10
years prior, India had imported 76
per cent of its defence equipment
from Russia.
Doval, who heads the Defence
Planning Committee—the highest
body that decides on military pur-
chases—came down from his Raisina
Hill office to personally receive
Pompeo. Observers said it was a rare
gesture from Doval, which indicated
that the relationship between Delhi
and Washington was going to be
at an all-time high during Modi'sRussia has traditionally been
India’s biggest arms supplier,
but the US is now challenging
that dominanceBY PRADIP R. SAGAR
Armed by
America