U.S.A and Russian Suppliers Weapons Systems To India Air Force

With the demise of the Soviet Union, India has worked steadily to diversify its weapons systems and thus its suppliers. The big winner as a result of this decision is Israel, which is now India’s largest weapons supplier. India bought $2.76 billion worth of weapons and munitions from Israel in 2003, according to the 2005 Indian Defense Yearbook (New Delhi: Indian Defense Yearbook). This includes Barak antiship missile interceptors, surveillance systems, and unmanned aerial surveillance crafts. One clear indication that U.S. policy on export licensing was changing came in early 2003, when Washington approved the sale by Israel of the Phalcon airborne warning radar system, giving India a significant leg up on its archrival Pakistan.

Prospects for U.S. defense sales had been very limited since the mid-1960s, initially because of India’s ties with the Soviet Union, and later because of a variety of U.S. export controls as well as the formal sanctions imposed in response to nuclear weapons tests in 1998. U.S. restrictions were gradually lifted, and the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership agreement in January 2004 was intended to fundamentally change the way U.S. export controls dealt with India. During this same period, India began to diversify its sources of military supply.

That agreement and the new security relationship have opened up the possibility of major U.S. defense sales to India. U.S. defense contractors like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin are eyeing the Indian market with interest. The list of weapons systems that U.S. companies want to sell to India is long, but big-ticket items include a fleet of maritime reconnaissance aircraft (MRA) for the Indian Navy, sophisticated air defense and air traffic control systems, and short-haul cargo planes.

 The potential purchase that has generated the most discussion is the Indian Air Force’s interest in purchasing
126 multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA), worth approximately $9 billion to $15 billion, spread over 15 years. In March, 2005, the U.S. government made clear that the policy environment had shifted, when a formal
briefing released to the press stated that U.S. bidders on this project would be permitted to offer coproduction in India as part of its sales package. Coproduction has long been a key Indian requirement for major equipment purchases, but one that the United States has not previously been willing to license.

Companies that have received request for proposals (RFP) from the Indian government include Lockheed, for a variant of its famous F-16 jet, and Boeing, for the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, which it currently produces for the U.S. Navy. The U.S. government has also reportedly indicated its willingness to sell other sophisticated military hardware such as upgraded Patriot missiles, thus indicating that it is willing to trust
India with sensitive military technologies.

From India’s perspective, defense purchases from the United States have a few important advantages. They are a visible symbol of India’s “graduation” from the export control restrictions under which it has chafed for years. They embody world-class technology. In addition, they would cement the political relationship that India is trying to develop with the United States.

U.S. suppliers also face the disadvantage of their equipment being new to the Indian military. Skeptics
in India point out that the Indian Air Force (IAF) can induct the Russian MiG-29M or the French Mirage 2000-5, as it already operates older versions of these planes, while the F-16 or F/A-18 would require a major investment in logistics and training.