India and Russia has decided to extend the tenure of an inter-governmental commission for military cooperation by another 10 years to 2020 and inched closer to resolving Gorshkov aircraft carrier price and T-90 tanks technology transfer issues.
New Delhi and Moscow also decided to form an apex body headed by the defence secretaries of the two countries to coordinate operation of several working groups for military cooperation.
“We have taken an in principle decision to extend the tenure of the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) for Military and Technical Cooperation by another 10 years to 2020 from 2010, when the current Commission’s 10-year term ends,” Defence Minister A K Antony and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov said at a joint press conference soon after their annual IGC meeting in New Delhi on Monday.
“The apex body headed by the two defence secretaries will meet every six months to review the joint working groups’ functioning and to sort out all issues concerning defence relations,” Antony said.
The two Defence Ministers said Indo-Russian military relations have evolved over the years from “buyer-vendor” to “partners” for joint development of weapons and equipment.
“It is a major decision. Russia has made a proposal for extension of the IGC tenure and India will consider it positively and examine it at the earliest,” Antony said.
Stating that New Delhi and Moscow had several working groups all these years and there was no coordination, he said the apex body would meet at the earliest in Moscow “well before the visit of the Russian President to India so we can move on all issues very fast.”
The 8th IGC in New Delhi also decided to have joint exercises of the Army, Navy and Air Force on a large scale, not only in numbers but also in content, to further the military cooperation between the two countries.
On the Gorshkov aircraft carrier price negotiations, Antony said discussions were “fruitful and very positive” and that Russian proposals were examined by India.
“Now the discussions are in an advanced stage and I hope we will be able to send the proposals to the Cabinet for final decision,” he added.
Russia has been seeking an additional USD 1.2 billion over and above the USD 1.5 billion for the aircraft carrier bought by India in 2004 and sent for a refit to the Russian Sevmash Shipyard.
“The Russians have pointed out that the scope of repair and refit of the aircraft carrier has increased and as a result, costs have escalated. Discussions have been going on in the last few months now,” he said.
With the delay in the refit programme, the 44,570-tonne Kiev Class Gorshkov — rechristened as INS Vikramaditya — is expected to join the Indian Navy service only by 2012.
Noting that the technology transfer for the 1,000 T-90 tanks to be built at the Avadi-based Heavy Vehicles Factory would now “move very fast”, Antony said India and Russia decided at the IGC meeting to soon find a solution to the issue.
“There are some problems with regard to product support for the T-90 tanks, which caused a delay in the project,” he added.
India had signed a USD 795 million deal in 2001 with the Russians to outrightly purchase 347 T-90 tanks to strengthen the Indian Army’s Armoured Vehicles fleet and for licensed production of 1,000 more tanks at the HVF under a technology transfer.
When the Serdyukov was asked about Russia leasing out a nuclear-powered submarine to India, he said: “A lot of things are being talked about. But we do not really know what it is.”
Replying to questions, Serdyukov said the strategic partnership between India and Russia was “developing dynamically” and hence the relationship had moved forward over the years.
Both countries also want to expand the cooperation to more areas, as both countries want to strengthen their relations, he said.
The IGC meeting between the two sides was held in traditional spirit of friendship, and discussed issues of mutual interest, including ongoing projects for acquisition of weapons and equipment, joint development and production, defence research and development, and increased interaction between the defence forces through military exercises, Defence Ministry officials said.
They also inked a protocol to give a definite shape to the increasing military cooperation.
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