In the Indian Army, everything from guns to tanks, fighter jets, submarines and air defense systems have been imported from Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India this week is not just a diplomatic courtesy. It also reminds us of the decades-old defense partnership between India and Russia. The partnership which has worked to increase the military power of the Indian Army. To put it simply, even today a large part of the Indian military force is of Russian or Soviet origin. This includes everything from guns to tanks, fighter jets, submarines and air defense systems.
According to several studies, 60-80 percent of the major weapons platforms of the Indian Army are of Russian origin. The analysis of Indian think tanks and international institutions clearly shows that a large part of the Army’s tanks, armored fleet, Air Force’s fighter aircraft and Navy’s ships and submarines have either come from Russia or are based on Russian technology.
Come, on the pretext of Putin’s visit, let us know what defense equipment imported from Russia do the three Indian armies have? Will we also understand what is the political strategic meaning of this in the context of Putin’s visit?
Even tanks, rockets and rifles in the army
Russian weapons are the strength of the Indian Army. T 72 tanks have been the backbone of the Indian Army since the 1970s. They have been deployed in large numbers on the Pakistan and China border. T 90 Bhishma is based on Russia’s T 90. India has also imported them and manufactured them in the country on license basis. Today they are considered the most modern main battle tanks and have been deployed even in high altitude areas like Ladakh. Old T 55 Soviet era tanks are now being used on the LoC as bunkers/pillboxes rather than in active combat.
The T 72 tank has been the backbone of the Indian Army since the 1970s.
BMP 2 Infantry Combat Vehicle, a Soviet-designed armored vehicle, produced under license production in India. It carries soldiers safely and also provides fire support like a light tank. The BM 30 Smerch multi-rocket system is capable of delivering heavy rockets from long ranges, destroying enemy positions, command posts and depots. The BM 21 Grad is a truck mounted 122 mm rocket launcher. It is famous for its fast burst fire. The M 46 130 mm field gun is a long-range towed cannon of Soviet origin, which served Indian artillery needs for decades.
Many anti-tank and air defense missile systems of the Army are also of Russian origin. These include anti-tank guided missiles Konkurs and Kornet ATGM. Air defense missiles operating at low and medium altitude are OSA, Pechora (S 125), Strela. Shilka and Tunguska are self-propelled, radar controlled anti-aircraft gun/missile systems.
The most common rifle seen in the hands of any soldier on the border is the AK 47 Russian. This is the world’s most famous assault rifle. India-Russia have also signed an agreement to jointly produce AK 203 rifle in Korwa (Amethi), Uttar Pradesh. The Dragunov SVD sniper rifle is the standard weapon for squad level sniper and marksman roles. Both the large-caliber machine gun and the long-range precision rifle are of Russian origin. That means, from infantry to heavy tanks, a large part of the Army has come from Russia or is based on its technology.
Fighter jet Su 30MKI. Photo: PTI
From MiG to Su-30 in Air Force
Russia has the largest share in the fighter fleet of the Indian Air Force. Studies show that about 70% of the total fighter ground attack aircraft are of Russian origin. Fighter jet Su 30MKI is the backbone of the Indian Air Force. India has more than 250 Su 30MKIs, most of which are built in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on Russian design. MiG 29 is a medium fighter jet, whose upgraded version MiG 29UPG is still in service. MiG 21 used to be the backbone for a time but now it is gradually being phased out.
IL 76 heavy transport aircraft is the only Russian in the category of transport and tanker aircraft. IL 78 is air to air refueling tanker. These aircraft formed the basis of India’s long-range logistics and strategic airlift capability. Two IL 76s have also been modified as Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
Fighter jet MiG-29K. Photo: PTI
There are many missiles of Russian origin in the Air Force fleet. These include air to air, air to surface and precision bombs and laser guided bombs. In recent years, India has purchased five regiments of S 400 Triumf air defense systems from Russia. It is counted among the world’s most modern multi-layered air defense systems. Delivery of its first unit started from 2021. Most of the medium and heavy helicopters are also from Russia. Among these, Mi 17 is for transport and utility role and Mi 35 is an attack helicopter. Mi 26 is a heavy lift helicopter.
From aircraft carrier to submarine in the Navy
INS Vikramaditya is an aircraft carrier of Russian origin. It remained the only aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy for a long time, which was earlier Admiral Gorshkov of the Soviet Navy. India refitted it with Russia and put it into service in 2013. Fighter jets like MiG 29K/KUB fly easily from its deck.
INS Vikramaditya.
Many big ships of the Indian Navy are of Russian origin. Among these, the Rajput class destroyer is a modified version of the Soviet Kashin class. Talwar class frigate has been built at Yantar Shipyard in Russia and has joined the Indian Navy. The Veer class missile corvettes are fast, light, Russian-designed missile ships. Many weapons installed on these ships are also from Russia.
India’s conventional diesel-electric submarines form the backbone of its fleet. Eight Kilo class submarines are still active today. Also, India has leased Nuclear Powered Attack Submarine (SSN) Chakra series from Russia. Their objective is not only to show strength but also to train the Indian crew in operating ballistic missile submarines like their indigenous INS Arihant.
BrahMos missile
BrahMos missile and further story
India-Russia defense partnership is not limited to just buying and selling. Some of the most important projects are examples of joint development. BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is a joint project of DRDO of India and NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia. It can be fired from all three platforms, sea, land and air. It is counted among the world’s fastest operational supersonic cruise missiles. India has a long history of manufacturing systems like MiG 21, MiG 27, T 72, T 90, BMP 2, Su 30MKI, helicopter engines etc. under license. This also increased India’s industrial and technological capacity.
Russian dependency good or bad?
During every visit of Putin to India, a question definitely arises whether India is more dependent on Russia? And is it good or dangerous? Russia has never imposed arms embargo or strict political conditions on India, whereas the record of Western countries has been different. During the Cold War until after the nuclear tests, Russia continued defense cooperation with India. Russian weapons have often been cheaper than Western alternatives and faster to be delivered on a large scale. Many systems were made in India through license production, which also provided the basis for efforts like Make in India, even if full technology transfer did not always occur.
After the Ukraine war, sanctions on Russian industry and supply chain problems emerged, raising questions about the timely availability of spare parts and upgrades. The confrontation between Russia and the West on international forums made India’s diplomatic balancing more difficult. On one side America, Europe and Quad, on the other side old strategic partner Russia. That is why in recent years India has increased purchases from France, America, Israel, domestic private and public sectors. Yet according to Reuters, the largest portion of India’s total arms purchases between 2020-24 came from Russia.
Also read: To how many countries does Russia supply weapons, how high-tech are these?