National Security Advisor Ajit Doval‘s visit to Moscow this week has once again highlighted the enduring importance of the India-Russia strategic partnership at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty and shifting global power equations. Doval participated in the First International Security Forum and the 14th Meeting of High Representatives for Security Matters.Hosted by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, these discussions focused on emerging security challenges in an increasingly multipolar world. During his address, Doval stressed that there can be “no double standards” in the fight against terrorism, urging responsible nations to take a clear stand against states that sponsor terror.
Russia remains one of New Delhi’s most important strategic and military partners. For more than six decades, Russia has played a central role in India’s defence modernisation. Despite India’s growing defence ties with Western countries, Moscow remains a pivotal defence partner for New Delhi. The defence relation between the two countries has moved beyond traditional arms sale, both nations are now expanding to co-development and technology transfers.The Ongoing projects include: –· BrahMos: Jointly developed supersonic cruise missile deployed by all three Indian armed services· AK-203: Joint production of AK-203 rifles in India to modernize the Army’s infantry arsenal.· Super Sukhoi: Upgrading the IAF’s frontline fighter fleet of SU-30 MKI with advance avionics, radar and weapons.· T-90: Russian support for maintenance, upgrades and sustainment of India’s T-90 tank fleet.· Nuclear Submarine: Russian assistance and submarine leasing helped India to gain crucial experience in operating nuclear-powered submarines.· Talwar-class frigates: Russia supplied and collaborated on the construction of Talwar-class frigates.· MiG-29 UPG: Modernization of MiG-29 fighters with improved combat and operational capabilities.· IL-76: Continued support for India’s strategic airlift fleet used for logistics and troop transportIndia-Russia continue to anchor their defence ties and increasing looking towards next-generation military technologies. Future collaborations are likely to focus on high-end strategic capabilities.Several potential projects are already being discussed, including: –· Hypersonic Missiles: Building on the success of BrahMos, India and Russia are collaborating on next-generation Hypersonic missile BrahMos II, capable of travelling at speeds above Mach 5 (6,100 km/h).· Su-57 fighter jet: Russia has offered the Su-57 stealth fighter to India with proposals including technology transfer, local production and deeper industrial cooperation.· Advance Air defence systems: Future cooperation could extend beyond the S-400 to include technologies associated with Russia’s S-500 Prometheus air and missile defence system, designed to intercept ballistic missiles and hypersonic threats.The India- Russia defence partnership has stood the test of time, evolving from a relationship built on military supplies to increase focused on joint development. Even as India diversifies its defence partnerships and expands indigenous production, Russian-origin platforms continue to form the backbone of several critical capabilities.
