Moscow and New Delhi agree to expand military drills 

Officials from the two nations have discussed enhancing cooperation ahead of a visit to Russia by the Indian defense minister

Military officials from Russia and India have agreed to enhance defense and security cooperation, including participation in joint exercises, to further strengthen operational coordination, India’s Ministry of Defense stated on Thursday.

The arrangements were made during a meeting of a working group on military cooperation under the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) in Moscow.

“The Working Group emphasized the importance of continued knowledge-sharing and collaboration in areas of strategic interest. It also agreed to expand joint exercises to further solidify the operational synergy between the two forces,” the statement noted.

The two countries have conducted numerous joint land, air, and sea exercises, such as Indra, Avia Indra, and Indra Navy. These have served as key platforms for sharing best practices, improving joint operational tactics and procedures, and deepening mutual understanding, New Delhi has stated.

The countries’ defense officials hold annual meetings, alternating between Moscow and New Delhi, to discuss the progress of ongoing projects and other aspects of military technical cooperation. Russia is also part of an exclusive group of countries with which India engages in a 2+2 Dialogue, involving both the foreign ministers and defense ministers from each side.

The latest meeting comes days ahead of Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh’s visit to Moscow, which is scheduled for early December. Singh is expected to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Andrey Belousov.

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Singh will also visit Kaliningrad to commission a stealth frigate being built for the Indian Navy. New Delhi signed a contract with Moscow to buy four Project 11356 warships in 2018. Under the agreement, two of the frigates were to be imported directly, while the remaining two are being built locally by state-owned Goa Shipyard Limited using Russian technology. 

The completion of the first of these frigates, named Tushil, will be a major boost to the country’s naval power and comes amid evolving strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, Indian media noted. The Yantar Shipyard previously built three of the six Russian-made Talwar-class frigates currently in service with the Indian Navy, which are similar in design to Russia’s Krivak-class frigates.

New Delhi is also expecting delivery of the remaining two of five squadrons of S-400 Triumph air-defense missile systems, which India procured from Russia in 2018 for around $5.43 billion, despite Western pressure and threats of sanctions.

Over the years, military-technical collaboration between Moscow and New Delhi has shifted from a simple buyer-seller dynamic to joint research, design development, and the production of advanced military systems. This includes the joint development of the BrahMos cruise missile, the licensed manufacturing of fighter jets and T-90 tanks, and the production of AK-203 rifles in India as part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.