India's moves to sew defence pact with Ukraine miffs Russia

New Delhi, June 9 (PTI) Russia, the country's longtime
and largest defence partner, appears to be miffed over India
working towards sewing up a defence pact with Ukraine.

A Defence Ministry official said here Tuesday that the
issues were "raised" informally by the Russians with an Indian
delegation led by Defence Secretary Vijay Singh during a
recent visit to Moscow.

The official was asked about Moscow's reaction to India's
efforts to firm up a defence pact with Ukraine, which is seen
by Moscow as a rival to its thriving defence export business,
particularly with India.

Moscow is also believed to be unhappy over reported
comments of former IAF chief Fali Homi Major, just before his
retirement, that India would prefer A330 multi-role tanker
transport (MRTT) for mid-air refuelling of fighter aircraft,
instead of the Russian Illushin-78 tankers, six of which are
already in use with the IAF.

Though Major did clarify that the government was yet to
take a decision, it failed to placate the ruffled sentiments
of Russians, who indicated that much to the Indian delegation
that was in Moscow last week to attend the high-level
monitoring committee under an inter-governmental commission.

The Defence Ministry official said India had already
exchanged a formal draft for the defence pact with Ukraine,
which had shown interest in a "deeper military relationship."

The pro-NATO tilt of Ukraine, which was part of the
erstwhile Soviet Union, in the recent times, has come at a
time when Russia has started asserting itself and challenging
the unipolarity of geopolitics, the official said.

At present, Ukraine is among the world's top ten arms
exporters, gaining from the defence industry it inherited
after the break-up of the Soviet Union two decades ago.

Apart from producing the Antanov series of transport
aircraft, which are a large part of the IAF's inventory,
Ukraine also retains the rights to service them.

It also has the capacity to build the Mi series of
helicopters, apart from T-80 tanks.

With Kiev being the former Soviet Union's aircraft
building base, Ukraine retained the capacities to build these
mammoth war machines, forcing Russia to build the capability
at Sevmash shipyard, meant for submarines, in north Russia.

India is also pursuing similar defence agreements with
Spain and Sweden. In Europe, India already has such agreements
with Russia, Britain, France, Italy and Germany.

The A330 MRTT issue too came up for an informal
discussion with the Russian officials, who stated that they
were "slightly upset" with the remarks emanating from India
that the Il-78 platform was 'not up to the mark.'

The Defence Ministry official clarified that India had
not yet taken a decision on which of the two shortlisted
platforms -- A330 and Il-78 -- they should go in for under the
USD 1.3 billion deal for six aircraft.

"Both the platforms are currently under consideration. We
will take a decision soon," he said.

However, he did indicate that the IAF's technical
evaluation committee had pointed out certain advantages in
going in for A330 MRTT. PTI NCB
PMR
NNNN