[quote name='ankit-s' date='03 March 2010 - 04:12 AM' timestamp='1267569259' post='104734']
[size="3"]Shifting Geopolitics Realigns Indian Relations[/size]
NEW DELHI - India has shifted back into a closer relationship with Russia as New Delhi perceives a growing threat from China while the U.S. Obama administration has focused on engaging traditional foe Pakistan to aid its Afghanistan campaign, defense analysts said.
While New Delhi signed a $2.1 billion contract with the United States to purchase six P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft in January 2009, India and Russia closed the year by signing an agreement on nuclear cooperation and resolving the long-standing Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier dispute. India agreed to pay $1.2 billion above 2004's contracted price of $800 million for the ship.
The countries also [color="#0000ff"]finalized the joint production of a fifth-generation combat jet for $10 billion,[/color] and the Indian Navy has decided to buy [color="#0000ff"]additional MiG-29K aircraft from Russia worth about $1.2 billion[/color].
India and Russia signed a nuclear cooperation agreement in December 2009 that offers India better terms than the Indo-U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement, which has yet to become operational, Indian officials said.
[/quote]
Thanks Ankit for posting this.
One of the crucial payback for playing strategic cooperation with Indian post 1998 Pokhran, Op-Prakaram and Nuclear Deal is to reward French and Russia. The carrot of the MRCA deal worth $12 Billion had been hanging up the pole for long, and it was critical for India for split the deal between two supplier countries (on Indian TOT terms) between Russia and France/Europe.
US had a chance in between, but the crooked tail of the dog has shown to not become straight and remain crooked under Obama; thus the US Teens (F-Fifiteen or F-Eighteens ) will remain naked, and no new bones thrown at them (P8I and C130 is enough bone for the dog)
Now with the $10 Billion (for FGFA) and change (for Mig29-K, Akula and Greshkov) going to Ivan, the MRCA can now settle for the best technical fit for IAF, and I hope Rafael or Gripen will be chosen for the full compliment of 128 aircrafts, instead of splitting it between two supplier that will be a costly maintainace and up-time nightmare for IAF and India.
[size="3"]Shifting Geopolitics Realigns Indian Relations[/size]
NEW DELHI - India has shifted back into a closer relationship with Russia as New Delhi perceives a growing threat from China while the U.S. Obama administration has focused on engaging traditional foe Pakistan to aid its Afghanistan campaign, defense analysts said.
While New Delhi signed a $2.1 billion contract with the United States to purchase six P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft in January 2009, India and Russia closed the year by signing an agreement on nuclear cooperation and resolving the long-standing Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier dispute. India agreed to pay $1.2 billion above 2004's contracted price of $800 million for the ship.
The countries also [color="#0000ff"]finalized the joint production of a fifth-generation combat jet for $10 billion,[/color] and the Indian Navy has decided to buy [color="#0000ff"]additional MiG-29K aircraft from Russia worth about $1.2 billion[/color].
India and Russia signed a nuclear cooperation agreement in December 2009 that offers India better terms than the Indo-U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement, which has yet to become operational, Indian officials said.
[/quote]
Thanks Ankit for posting this.
One of the crucial payback for playing strategic cooperation with Indian post 1998 Pokhran, Op-Prakaram and Nuclear Deal is to reward French and Russia. The carrot of the MRCA deal worth $12 Billion had been hanging up the pole for long, and it was critical for India for split the deal between two supplier countries (on Indian TOT terms) between Russia and France/Europe.
US had a chance in between, but the crooked tail of the dog has shown to not become straight and remain crooked under Obama; thus the US Teens (F-Fifiteen or F-Eighteens ) will remain naked, and no new bones thrown at them (P8I and C130 is enough bone for the dog)
Now with the $10 Billion (for FGFA) and change (for Mig29-K, Akula and Greshkov) going to Ivan, the MRCA can now settle for the best technical fit for IAF, and I hope Rafael or Gripen will be chosen for the full compliment of 128 aircrafts, instead of splitting it between two supplier that will be a costly maintainace and up-time nightmare for IAF and India.