NEW DELHI - Russia is offering an array of cutting-edge arms to be produced locally by India, including an advanced killer sub and a fifth-generation fighter jet. The Indian military is also about to take delivery of other weapons.
Moscow is now competing for a tender to deliver six diesel-electric submarines to the Indian Navy, said Vladimir Drozhzhov, the head of a government agency in charge of arms trade. Russia’s bid includes the Lada-class attack submarine (also known as Amur-1650), an advanced underwater vessel designed for engaging ships, defending naval ports and conducting reconnaissance.
If selected, the submarine – which is said to be one of the quietest in her class – won’t be just assembled under a Russian license and from Russian parts, the official revealed. The bid suggests that the submersible will be jointly designed by Indian and Russian engineers but built by the Indians themselves.
This is how India could develop its own know-how and acquire sensitive technology that other countries are reluctant to share, Drozhzhov noted. Also, the Indian-Russian sub could easily be fitted with another joint venture – a supersonic sea-skimming missile called BrahMos.
Submarines are not the only hardware that Russia has in store. India may become the first foreign operator of the Sukhoi-built Su-57 fighter jet, which is now undergoing final trials at Russian airbases, the official said.
The cutting-edge aircraft once served as a backbone of the Russian-Indian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project until New Delhi chose to quit, citing design flaws. (RT)