India likely to ink $2.5bn deal for stealth frigates during Putin visit

INDIA IS IN TALKS WITH THE US TO SECURE A SANCTIONS WAIVER AS ITS MILITARY IS HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON RUSSIAN EQUIPMENT

NEW DELHI : India and Russia are likely to sign a $2.5 billion deal for four more Krivak/talwar class stealth frigates for the navy on Friday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin meet for the annual India-russia summit, two senior officials familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Two of the warships will be constructed at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad and the remaining two at the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). HT had reported on September 12 that the deal was likely to be inked during the summit.

India inked an Inter-governmental Agreement (IGA) with Russia for the four frigates in 2016. The navy currently operates six stealth frigates — three Talwar class and three Teg class — bought from Russia and inducted between 2003 and 2013.

The new Grigorovich-class ‘Project 1135.6’ frigates will be powered by gas turbine engines to be supplied by Ukrainian firm Ukroboronprom’s Gas Turbine Research & Production Complex Zorya-mashproekt.

The two countries will also sign a ₹39,000-crore deal for the supply of Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India. The S-400 is capable of destroying incoming aerial targets at a range of 400km.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was on an official visit to Kazakhstan and Krgystan till Oct 6, cut short her visit to attend the India-russia summit, said an official familiar with the development.

India is in talks with the US to secure a sanctions waiver as its military is heavily dependent on Russian equipment. Air force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) was unlikely to come in the way of the deal. He said the first deliveries would take place after two years of the signing of the contract.