India is set to receive the next batch of Russian Igla-S short range man portable air defense systems (MANPADS) by the end of May to early June, as the payment issues that delayed the delivery have been resolved, The Hindu reported on Thursday, citing sources.
Moscow and New Delhi signed a contract for the supply and licensed manufacturing of Igla-S MANPADS in India last year, Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms export body, announced. The weaponry is being assembled in India by Adani Defense Systems and Technologies Limited (ADSTL) under technology transfer from Rosoboronexport. While the missiles will be imported, some parts of the system such as sights, launcher, and battery will be assembled or manufactured in India by Adani defense, a source told The Hindu.
The first batch of 24 systems and 100 missiles was delivered to the Indian Army in April, The Print reported. In 2021, India already purchased two dozen Igla-S systems under its emergency procurement program, though the current order is larger, according to reports.
India’s latest order of Russian MANPADS is part of a broader planned initiative, executed under India’s Very Short Range Air Defense System (VSHORAD) procurement program, launched in 2010 with the goal of procuring 5,000 missiles, 258 single launchers, and 258 multi-launchers. While India is updating its inventory through imports from various sources, which apart from Russia include the US and Israel, it is advancing its indigenous VSHORADS missile programs developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
Of Indian descent, I am very skeptical India will ever enter into a strategic relationship with the USA. India is steeped in Socialism and will never become close to the US as a Capitalist society. Now it may be different if Bernie Sanders or even Pocohontas became President. Absent that, in regards to containing China, the US will have to go it alone.
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This is a direct result of Trump in the White House. India and China will be driven closer to Russia because of his fundamental failure to grasp dependencies between trade, security, and power balances. He is seen as a bumbling fool by the world, and countries will adjust their allegiances to manage this risk.
Russia has been an all-weather ally. America supported Pakistan for most of Pakistan's history. Only since the 9/11 attacks has America begun to see the error of her ways. America could've given us a similar system to the S-400. This would've had the added benefit of China not knowing it's capabilities. After all, China bought the S-400 too. Why didn't America give us a similar system?
On one side India (correctly) accuses Pakistan of harboring terrorists, and on other side shakes hand with a rogue who poisons diplomats and fires at passenger air plane and also wants US to open its border for hordes of H1-B visa with often murky credentials.
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