Narendra Modi in Russia: Defense Deals Possible

As India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, arrives in Russia for his first state visit to the country on Wednesday, defense-industry watchers will be keenly monitoring the steps he takes to further deepen long-standing military-supply ties between the two nations.

Russia was India’s biggest supplier of arms for decades, but New Delhi has in recent years started to buy more weapons from the West, particularly the U.S.

India is the world’s largest importer of military hardware, accounting for 15% of all arms imports between 2010-14, according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, a Swedish think tank. Russia supplied 70% of India’s arms, followed by U.S. at 12% and Israel at 7%.Others, including U.K. and France made up the remaining 11%.

Most of India’s military aircraft, warships and tanks were manufactured in Russia or the Soviet Union.

The agreements would help Russia, whose defense industry has been faltering in recent years. Hit hard by sharply falling oil prices and Western sanctions over Ukraine, weapons companies in Russia fear cuts in domestic defense spending and delays in several projects.

India has been pushing ahead with plans to modernize its military. Mr. Modi’s government is not only approving additional weapons purchases but is also urging arms makers to produce their wares in the country as part of its “Make in India” program.

Here are some of the key defense projects that Mr. Modi is expected to discuss when he meets Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, for talks on Thursday.

Top of the list will likely be the purchase of five S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems, along with 6,000 missiles, for a total of about $6 billion. If a deal is signed, India would follow China,which in 2014 agreed to acquire the S-400, one of Russia’s most advanced weapons.

The S-400 is designed to destroy aircraft that use stealth technology, other fighter aircraft, cruise missiles and tactical missiles from up to 400 kilometers away.

Earlier this month, Russia deployed an S-400 missile system to protect its Hmeimim airbase in Syria in response to Turkey’s downing of a Russian jet.