India, Ukraine to kick off defence talks next week
transport aircraft, radars, electronic warfare equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukrainian companies are in talks with Indian firms such as Reliance Defence, Larsen & Toubro, and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd for likely opportunities under the Make in India initiative, the officials added.
“For countries like India that are dependent on arms imports, a working relationship with Ukraine will be a desirable course of action. It will allow us some wiggle room in the wake of American sanctions against Russian entities,” said strategic affairs expert Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak (retd). In the naval sphere, India is in talks with Ukraine for gas turbines for a frigate programme. India and Russia are likely to sign a deal for four more Krivak/Talwar class stealth frigates before the India-Russia annual summit in October, and the gas turbines will power these warships. The turbines will be supplied by Ukroboronprom’s Gas Turbine Research & Production Complex Zorya-Mashproekt.
Ukraine could also be asked to help with maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of Soviet-era weaponry at competitive prices, said an army official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Reacting to a news report on Thursday, the defence ministry trashed allegations that Indian officials were involved in a bribery case relating to the purchase of spares from Ukraine for the Indian Air Force’s Antonov-32 planes. It said the Ukrainian embassy in India had sent a request to ministries of home and external affairs in March for legal assistance in the investigation of a criminal case filed against officials of Spetstechnoexport.
India and Ukraine inked a $400-million contract in 2009 for upgrading the IAF’s fleet of 100 An-32 planes.