NEW DELHI – The Indian defence ministry’s view is that Russia, which hasalready sold the S – 400 Missile Defence system to China, could also sellit to Pakistan, if India reneges on the deal at this stage.
In the past decade, Russian RD-93 engines were supplied to Pakistan throughthe China route for JF-17 fighters despite objections in writing fromIndia.
India will push ahead with its deal to buy the S-400 air defence systemsfrom Russia despite opposition from the US, defence ministry officials saidon condition of anonymity.
According to them, the defence ministry will approach the apex CabinetCommittee on Security (CCS) for approval to purchase five units of RussianS-400 air defence systems.
They added that the ministry has received no instructions as of now tostall the contract in the wake of the US red-flagging the $5.5 billion deal.
The Trump administration has warned India of the consequences of thispurchase from Russia and said it could curtail military cooperation withthe United States.
The officials said the CCS headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will takethe final decision now that both the countries have completed negotiationsto close the deal.
While India has taken note of objections raised by William Thornberry, thepowerful Chairman of the US House Armed Services Committee and the ambit ofthe Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CATSA), it isopen to sharing each other’s security concerns. The purchase of S-400system will be up for discussion at the two-plus-two dialogue betweenIndian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister NirmalaSitharaman with their US counterparts secretary of state Mike Pompeo andsecretary of defense Jim Mattis on July 6 at Washington. It is learnt thatat the two-plus-two dialogue the two sides will flag security concerns overthe contract and how to best come out of a sticky situation without anyramification on the close bilateral ties.
The officials said that New Delhi has already used back channels to explainIndia’s concerns and the need for a strong air defence system given theneighbourhood. The Indian Air Force (IAF), given the advance aerialcapabilities of China and Pakistan, needs the S-400 to protect its airbases.
Prime Minister Modi’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval ia believed tohave made made quiet calls to both the White House and the Kremlin toconvince both the countries that India is too big a nation to belong to anycamp and that it takes all decisions in its own national interest.