India pulled off a coup of sorts when it signed a deal with Russia for the US$5.3 billion S-400 air defense missile system on Oct. 5 in New Delhi, while ensuring that the United States agreed to waive any sanctions.
Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) invites sanctions if any country signs an agreement with a nation deemed hostile to US interests.
For months, the Indians have been working with their counterparts in Washington to try and get a waiver from President Donald Trump’s administration. With Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi, the deal was slated to be a show-stopper.
Indian foreign ministry officials privately told Asia Times that the Russians were insisting that the deal was signed before other agreements were inked.
But as an acknowledgment to US sensibilities, the signing of the S-400 deal was the only one kept away from public gaze on Friday night.
The details were buried in a 68-paragraph joint statement that was later issued. Top foreign ministry sources told Asia Times that even though the Russians were keen to highlight the deal, the Indians pointed out that this was simply not possible.
“We didn’t specify the Americans, but we held our ground that we would go ahead with the deal and it wouldn’t get top billing in the statement,” a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.
The statement recorded that both sides “welcomed the conclusion of the contract for the supply of the S-400 Long Range Surface to Air Missile System to India” and expressed “satisfaction” on the progress in other military projects, such as the purchase of small arms, tanks and armored carriers.
For decades, Russia was India’s top military equipment supplier until the Israelis moved in a few years ago. Military deals with the US are still fairly limited and low technology, leading to deals in transport aircraft, ultra-light howitzers and weapon locating radars.
India is in talks to purchase the NASAMS (National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) from the US under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. “Waivers of the CAATSA section 231 will be considered on a transaction-by-transaction basis. We cannot prejudge any sanctions decisions,” a US embassy spokesperson stated in New Delhi.
For decades India had to navigate a bi-polar world, with a blow hot, blow cold relationship with the US, while maintaining a strategic relationship with the former Soviet Union. This historical context to the S-400 deal is symptomatic of how things will unfold in the near future.
“In the 1950s, India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru went to the US looking for technology to set up steel plants. They insisted that this should be handed over to the private sector. Nehru immediately went to the Soviets, who happily supplied the technology without imposing their politics,” a former top foreign official told Asia Times.
“This showcases how the bilateral relationship between India and the US, vis-a-vis Russia, has been shaped through the decades since independence.”
India signed the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) with the US exactly a month ago in the 2+2 dialogue between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis with their Indian counterparts Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman.
This, along with the LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement) are some of the “foundational agreements” that New Dehli has signed with Washington.
These “foundational agreements,” US diplomats say, are key for a possible military alliance in the future. “Such an alliance is very far away, but without these, even the possibility does not exist. We recognize India’s independent foreign policy and reluctance to be part of any military alliance, but these agreements help,” an American diplomat told Asia Times.
“The US must acknowledge that India is in pursuit of its enlightened self-interests as a strategic partner. In a strategic relationship, it is key that both sides respect each other’s sensitivities. India is aware of the need [of the US] for engaging Pakistan and they should recognize India’s need to engage other strategic partners,” Vivek Katju, a former diplomat and secretary to the Indian government, told Asia Times.
After nuclear weapons tests conducted by India in May 1998, bilateral relations with the US dipped. But secret talks between then foreign minister Jaswant Singh and Strobe Talbot ushered in a new era that has endured and grown since then. According to analysts, this is unlikely to be reversed and may even earn India a waiver to import Iranian oil.
Best Air Defense Available
Major General PK Chakrovorty (retired), who spent decades shaping India’s air defense capabilities in the army feels that the S-400 is the best air defense system available to the country.
“The Americans are not even offering the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) air defense system to Japan, one of their closest allies. So why will they offer it to India? Nor is the Patriot system available. That makes the S-400 the best and in many ways, it is even better,” Chakrovorty said.
The Russian system has an approximate range of 400 kilometers, much more than the 180km that the THAAD offers.
“The S-400 may be slower at Mach 5.9, as compared to the THAAD’s Mach 8.1. But it has three radars – a search radar, a tracking radar and one on board the missile. This enhances its capability to hit a high-speed moving target with incredible accuracy,” Chakrovorty said.
The fact that it will be coupled with the US NASAMS is also a factor from a strategic view. “It can also counter stealth aircraft and that is a major plus,” Chakrovorty added.
In the past, deals with Russian have included long leases on nuclear submarines. From the mid-1980s, such leases helped India build its indigenous nuclear submarine.
And although India canceled plans to jointly develop a fifth-generation aircraft recently, it is unlikely to sour relations between the two countries, even as Russia inches closer to China.
Ganpatt Ram you can’t write off Russia so fast as 70% of our military hardware is of Russian origin.they are too deeply embedded in our defence infrastructure and we are still testing the waters as far as the US goes. Given soms time frame we might be able to cut the umbilical cord but that lies in the near future.
Ken Nguyen Lolz! I am an ordinary Indian. Not a troll and certainly not paid. Though some extra cash is never unwelcomed.
Coming to your question, read the book "Agricultural and Rural Development in India Since 1947", it traces developments in Indian agriculture and the transformation of rural India. And read the below about Norman Borlaug and his contribution to addressing indian agriculture issues:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug
And something about green revolution:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution
If you can’t believe Wikipedia then I can arrange some other documents as well.
I do not believe USA or China or Russia are enemies of India. But differences and convergence exist among India and all these 3 great power. India since 1998, is working with strategic autonomy and with the concept of multi alignment.
Hope this continues further. China India post Wuhan have reset their relationship and this can go places if diplomatcy is given a sincere chance.
The USA could not offer Indian an equivalent weapon at the same cost. India is a poor country and has to economise its spending. The USA should make the effort to help India purchase good quality arms at a reasonable price. The USA is pretty free handed in its spending when it comes to useless nations like Afghanistan and the late South Vietnam. It will just have to open its wallet a bit more for India.
Ken Nguyen
You are an ignoramus when it comes to India. It was with American state assistance in the days of Lyndon Johnson that the Indian Green Revolution got underway that made India a surplus producer of food grains. Given how much stupid abuse the Americans had to put up with from Indian leaders since Nehuru it is a tribute to them that Indian – American relations never completely collapsed and we are now allies. Naturally you Chinese are jealous. Good. You allied with the USA when you wanted to dig the Soviets under.
It was the USA to which Indian Prime Minister Nehru desperately appealed for military intervention in 1962 when the Chinese invaded India. Despite the Americans being annoyed that for many years Nehru had buttered up Maos fascist totalitarian China, the USA rushed help to India. The USA also gave over 20 billion dollars of aid to India up to the Seventies – maybe 100 billion in todays money. This is the biggest aid amount America has given to any single non-NATO nation. America despite siding with China in the days of Nixon and Reagan did a lot for India. Like any other nation it is not perfect but it is a democracy and one can always argue with the USA and get it to correct mistakes. China is a closed book and no-one can argue with it. The world of China is a dictatorship. With America India can argue but get along. We know whom we prefer.
Pravir Dutt
A democracy.
Ganpatt Ram "The fool who wrote this article does not. Russia is a declining country ruled by neo-fascist gangsters."
And the US is what?
Propaganda from a CIA troll! US had been strangling India for the past decades for its ties with Russia. What agriculture aid?
Arabs Afgbanis Irani purtagese mangolians and then British all ran over india again and again. This bunch of dalits brahman shodar need to spend extra on these weapons, does not guarantee anything. Would they ever be able to use it.
India should realise that the CIA has been always stirring up tensions between China and India in a divide and conquer strategy. Their aim is to use India to weaken China while conserving their own military forces and men. There is nothing to gain for India and much to lose in falling for this CIA scheme.
Ditto for Pakistan! Seek peace, non alignment and concentrate on development.
Just to put things in perspective, USA offered strategic partnership to India way back in 1949. Given that we came out of long colonial past, the Indian socialist leadership did not accept this.
Inspite of this US help in shaping Indian Navy and addressing agriculture modernization was invaluable. Indian self sufficiency in food production was largely due to US help.
Even after 1965 war, Pakistan was blocked immediately but Indian defence contracts dated back to 1963, were fulfilled by USA. Talking half truths and creating us vs them is not good for anyone.
Fact is, India benefitted from both USA and Russia. And still does.
Of the foundational agreements only BECA is left. And it is needed for ISRO’s space missions. India Russia just signed a space cooperation deal. BECA will help ISRO to connect with NASA. So again US and Russia will be providing invaluable help to Indian space program.
Coming to the 5 S-400 Sqns of S-400 LR SAM the IAF is getting, it will be identical to the Russian & Chinese S-400s in terms of performance parameters. The S-400 being LR-SAM, its principal objective is to deter hostile combat aircrafts from launching standoff PGMs like tactical cruise missiles & also shoot down inbound SRBMs & TBMs & cruise missiles.
Only major india specific add on is an all Indian IFF transponders—ground-based, sea-based or land-based—use the NSM operating mode, i.e. National Secure Mode, under which it is India-developed IFF source-codes & target fingerprinting algorithmns that are made use of by such IFF transponders.
If India purchases NASAMS II then they will be integrated to the same IFF system.
For the moment, the existing SAMs of the S-400 will be more than enough for interceptiong TBMs like Ghaznavi & Shaheen-1. But the new-generation hypersonic surface to air missiles are still undergoing development in Russia & are not yet available, could be procured in future to augment existing S400 system.
Wth S400, Barak-8 MR-SAMs, Akash-1 E-SHORADS & the SpyDer-SR & QR-SAM, India completes the kill-zone loop comprising LR-SAMs, MR-SAMs, E-SHORADS & SHORADS. That’s the good news.
This will help IAF to protect Indian Air Space.
Rohit Pandeya
Yep. Wait alone for China to attack.
Rohit Pandeya
India did not even announce the deal and Modi declined to meet Putin at Delhi Airport. The visit was given a low profile to avoid annoying the Americans. It is clear with whom India’s future lies.
There are a number of dumb Indians who are living in the dead past and have not realised that Russia today is not the Soviet Union. It is a shrunken nation with only half the GDP of India and totally dependent on China. It has said openly that it cannot help India in the event of a war between India and China. For India the only feasible great power alliance today is with the USA. Modi has realised that. The fool who wrote this article does not. Russia is a declining country ruled by neo-fascist gangsters.
Nothing bad if they do. Americans might run India better than Indians do. Relax !
Rest easy Alex….India is too big yo be part of any gang. Dont confuse it with another country from south Asia
Arthur Micol
Amidst all that chest thumping, more like US turns a Eunuch. A mere display of their hypocrisy. Who will ever going to trust them in the future. All this talk and rhetoric, about democracy and their values are mere BS
wow, this is the first time I heard a sovereign state go to other nation to ask permission to buy weapon from another nation. What’s next? Will DC dispatch a govenor general to Delhi next?
Bro we got two hostile nations at our border . We need to look after our safety in case of a two front war. Can’t wait for allies as by then it would be too late. S400 is a defensive weapon and not a threat to anybody.
The US eyes did not turn blind;they were wide open. They can’t stop the deal. For the Indians, it’s ‘America Last’.