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India signs $3 bn submarine deal with Russia: reports
India has signed a $3 billion deal to lease a third Russian nuclear-powered submarine for 10 years, giving Delhi a boost in the Indian Ocean against arch-rivals Pakistan and China, media reports said.
The deal — which according to the reports took months to negotiate — comes as tensions run high between India and Pakistan following their biggest standoff in years, and as Chinese influence grows in the region.
A defence ministry spokesman declined to confirm the agreement to AFP but the reports said that the submarine, the third India has leased from Russia, would be delivered by 2025.
Russia, India's Cold War ally, remains a major supplier of arms to India, irking the United States which has imposed sanctions on nations buying military hardware from Moscow.
Last October, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met and inked a deal for Delhi to buy Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system for $5.2 billion.
But India also shares US fears about China's growing assertiveness in the Indian Ocean, where New Delhi has traditionally held sway.
In 2017, India and China had a military standoff over a Himalayan plateau claimed by both Beijing and Bhutan, a close ally of India.
China has made inroads in Sri Lanka and Maldives, countries that India considers to be in its sphere of influence, through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
India has raised concerns about the initiative as a major section passes through Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
On Feb 26, India claimed its warplanes hit a militant training camp in Pakistan in response to a suicide bombing in Kashmir, which killed 40 paramilitary officers and was claimed by a militant group based in Pakistan.
Pakistan, a day later, carried out its own air raid, triggering a dogfight in which an Indian plane was shot down. India also said it shot down a Pakistan plane but Islamabad denied this.
Tensions cooled after Pakistan last Friday returned the Indian pilot of the downed aircraft, although both nations have continued to fire shells and mortars over the Line of Control.
Comments (64) Closed
These nukes and arsenals are bought
Go ahead. Akin to MIG 21, acquire old and obsolete Russian technology once again and the results are obvious.
A years worth work of a few Russians is worth 3 billion $, and that too for 10 year lease. Products by India on other hand, (and Pakistan too for that matter), produced by same number of man hours are worth a few hundred, or at best a few thousand dollars at best. The game is rigged. If people here don't understand and keep pushing for war, perhaps its just natural selection then.
A complicated technology...need a lot to master.
only when you cut down on defense expenditures will the country prosper, this money should have gone towards eradicating proverty
good job India
Buying such weapons from superpowers will definitely make hindustan fulfill her dream to become a super duper power!
A well-balanced article like this one is a rarity these days
Will it still get detected in our waters?
India is trapped in western propaganda...
India spends all her hard earned money in buying weapons, almost no investment on human and social development!
Modi is doing everything to win elections.
Mr modi please also think about the hundreds of millions of poor across India. The mad race for weapons will take us nowhere.
This order is for another nuclear submarine. Total number submarines are 35.
It's good, for our self defense.
Three billion going down the drain.What is the use spend that on deevelopment of people. Live and let other live
Make India strong by buying expensive Arsenal's and making masses hungry.
Well done Modi ji
well done !
This is nothing new between India and Russia.
Country should buy state of the art naval assets in this need of hour even out of funds deposited by UAE and SA.
$5 billion for S-400 and $3 billion for a submarine? That is total forex reserves held by SBP. Need to be careful with defence expenditure and not try to match India dollar for dollar.
A wrong move, make them at home.
Giving India a boost against China? Do you not know the size of Chinese military and what assets they own ? Remember, China builds their own equipment
If you start taxing us inappropriately, well we will spend our money somewhere else.
The arms race will make the common man suffer on both sides of the border
Lost ! how many human u can make them capable to feed themselves with this amount ? If war happen how many human will loose their lives with this amount ? Such arm.deal bring disaster only no benefits
Congratulations
India should also lease the navy staff along with the submarine.
This shows usa is of less importance to India.
Last para impresses me about Dawn.
That's how India shows the US its place...they raise the tarrifs on Indian imports and we hurt them Via Russia...it's all about money..
Here goes some more money from the mouths of poor indians.
Excellent decision ..
Good...
People of India are hungry and this PM is buying expensive war materials to make commissions for himself.
@Saif Zulfiqar, this is nothing we have 2% of GDP which is approx $ 60 Billion to spend on defense. India has GDP of 3200 Billion dollar GDP. Never worry poor and homeless are there in US and UK too. So India might increase defense budget too from next year
@Masud Khan,
Still human index of India is far ahead
Defense first Rest afterwards
India needs to increase it's defense budget by at least 1 percent to make it 2.5%. Right now India has the lowest defense budget in the region.
Russia is a reliable country. It had saved India from the America-British-French invasion in 1971. The USA is an unreliable partner as Trump recently imposed the tariff on Indian exports to the USA and is trying to reduce the access of the Indians for Visa.
@Saif Zulfiqar, People of India are prospering, better focus on the largest slum in the world - orangi town. As for our pm , other Leader visit him and India these days for blank checks, compared to a certain pm, looking for those checks.
@Masud Khan, have trillions, billions on weapons not a big deal
@Saif Zulfiqar, my dear, india is 7th biggest economy of the world now , after two years we are going ahead france ,and briten , on 5th number. Please
India is speeding towards becoming a superpower
Indians are reaching the top of every industry in the world
@Saif Zulfiqar, buddy. We are working on that one too..we are in fact working on science, education, health and other development ..
@Masud Khan, India earns 3 billion dollars in 6 hours
Modi is doing multi-billion dollar deals to buy weapons while hundreds of thousands of Indians are committing suicide because of extreme poverty and more than 50% Indians have no access to toilets.
That’s it Mr. Modi, keep spending your tax payers money on expensive weapons and building huge useless statues whilst your poor citizens starve and have no roof over their heads.
Does the Russian crew come with it? Less experienced indians may just sink it, similar what have been doing with Russian jets.
another 3 Billion wasted on Russian equipments
He is scared of Pakistan
Where is America in this?
Let them spend the tax payers money on bying weapons of disaster and let's spend our on the human development poverty eleviation as well education.
India should make its own.
We need peace. Peace needs strength
Any comments on toilets and poverty?
@Nepali Gorkha, ...and india spends $6 billion in 6 hours. Debt reaching a trillion dollors.
With that money around 10000 hospitals with 400 bed capacity could have been built.
I honestly hope, that these submarines, fare better than the Sukhoi or other Russian made aircrafts.
Russians are always trustworthy.. americans cant .. 99% pakistan will agree on it.. so indian never trust US..
India don't care for sanctions, India take decisions based on its interest not to fear for anyone.
Really great Leadership under Modi.
Hope their not pedal powered like the planes.