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| Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile systems for India: Moscow and New Delhi have been longtime defense and security partners (Credit: Sergei Malgavko/TASS) |
International Military - Russia has imposed a full military operation option against Ukraine. Russia's actions have received strong criticism from various parties
Big countries like the US are implementing new policies and sanctions against Russia. The existence of a series of sanctions imposed on Russia will certainly harm other parties as well.
One of the countries that may be affected by the imposition of Russian sanctions is India. The reason is, India is one of the countries that depends on the system and supply of weapons from Russia.
Quoted from The Wire, after Western sanctions against Russia, several defense experts expressed concern that the Indian military would face a grim prospect. This is because Russian defense equipment is interrupted and delayed non-stop while India needs to ensure operational readiness.
The disruption will have serious repercussions as India faces the threat of collusion along its disputed northern and western borders from nuclear rivals Pakistan and China.
Russia had previously assured India that while Western sanctions would cause anxiety and mistrust, Moscow had hoped to implement a major defense plan with New Delhi. However, as newer sanctions continue to roll in, the possibility that the supply chain will be damaged is inevitable.
Quoted from the Eurasian Times, India is purchasing S-400 air defense systems from Russia, some of which will be deployed in Punjab in northern India to thwart potential attacks from China and Pakistan.
In addition, New Delhi recently signed a contract for the AK-203 rifle with production scheduled to start soon in India. Any delay could jeopardize Indian infantry defenses on the borders with China and Pakistan.
India is also buying warships from Russia and the most difficult, according to officials, is a USD 950 million contract signed in 2018. The contract was entered into to supply four state-of-the-art Talwar-class stealth frigates to the Indian Navy.
The warship was supposed to be powered by a gas turbine engine supplied by a Ukrainian company but the Russian invasion complicated the process. The sanctions imposed by the US and Europe on Russia could also jeopardize India's recent BrahMos cruise missile export contract.
India has entered into a deal with the Philippines worth USD 375 million for the procurement of BrahMos missiles. The engine and search for the missile system were likely provided by Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya (NPOM). The company created a joint venture with the Indian government-run Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to design, upgrade and manufacture the BrahMos.
If embargoed, the big deal India has forged could be dangerous. The technical hurdles regarding the supply chain would be catastrophic for India. The round of sanctions targeted major Russian banks to prevent them from transacting in dollars.
Other sanctions imposed by the West on Russia include banning exports of computers, microchips and software.