The Week India – July 21, 2019

JULY 21, 2019 • THE WEEK 53

GRAPHICS SYAM KRISHNAN/RESEARCH PRADIP R. SAGAR

ON THE ANVIL

10 BOEING POSEIDON-8I LONG-RANGE

MARITIME RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT

• Worth over $3 billion


• Capability: anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface
  warfare, intelligence operations, maritime patrol
  and surveillance and reconnaissance missions


• To replace the Indian Navy’s ageing fleet of
  Tupolev Tu-142 aircraft

24 MH 60

ROMEO SEAHAWK

HELICOPTERS

• Worth $2.6 billion


• Anti-submarine and
  anti-surface warfare
  helicopter


• Capable of search,
  rescue and supply
  missions


• Will replace 15 Sea King
  anti-submarine warfare


• Worth $1 billion helicopters


• Capable of detecting and
  engaging with 256 moving
  targets


• Can carry out precision
  attacks at standoff ranges


• Can operate in hostile
  airspace with threats from
  the ground

C17 GLOBEMASTER

HEAVY LIFT AIRCRAFT

F/A18

• 57 jets being considered
  for the Indian Navy


• Intelligence, surveillance,
  target acquisition and
  reconnaissance aircraft
  F-21


• Lockheed Martin
  has offered F-21 jets
  exclusively to the IAF


• In the race to get the
  114 multi medium-role
  jet tender

6 MORE APACHE

ATTACK HELICOPTERS

RUSSIA

58%, down from 76%

US

Increased five

times to 15%

FRANCE

Increased to 4.6%

from 0.8%

ISRAEL

11% increase

UK

3.2%, down from 5.2%

BREAKDOWN OF

DEFENCE IMPORTS

BY COUNTRY

(2013-2018)

second term.

In 2018 alone, Pentagon and

the Indian military participated in

five major war games and execut-

ed more than 50 other military

exchanges. The maiden tri-services

exercise is scheduled for the end of

this year. Last year, India and the

US signed COMCASA (Communi-

cations Compatibility and Security

Agreement) and further operation-

alised the 2016 Logistics Exchange

Memorandum of Agreement

(LEMOA). The Basic Exchange and

Cooperation Agreement (BECA)

is also expected to be signed soon.

The US had given India the status

of major defence partner in 2016,

and observers say America's role in

India's defence matrix has grown

significantly.

One critical issue is how the

Indian military, which is used to op-

erating Russian equipment, would

adapt to US systems. But, many in

the military have said that Russian

equipment is rugged and lacks the

sophistication of the American

systems.

“We had problems with Russian

equipment at times, particular-

ly after their break-up,” Lt. Gen

Mohinder Puri, former deputy

chief of Army staff, told THE WEEK.

“Certainly, it is a good move to

diversify military equipment and

not be dependent on one source.

You cannot be putting all your eggs

in one basket. As far as adaptability

and training are concerned, I do

not think it is going to be much of a

problem.”

During Pompeo's visit, the biggest

concern among Indian officials was

how to negotiate the US sanctions

over India's ongoing $5 billion deal

to procure the S-400 air defence sys-

tem from Russia. Pompeo admitted

that his country had a divergence

of view with Delhi on issues such

as trade, but downplayed the S-400

deal by saying that “great friends

are bound to have differences” and