‘ No sovereign guarantee pact with Russia’
Amid controversy that government waived- off guarantees and anti- corruption clauses for Rafale fighter aircraft deal with France, Air Marshal V. R. Chaudhari, Deputy Chief of Air Staff, said on Tuesday that there is no sovereign guarantee and integrity pact signed with Russians for S- 400 missile defence system.
Meanwhile, India is also in talks to buy unused fighter aircraft MiG- 29 from Russia to boost its depleting fleet.
“There is no sovereign guarantee or integrity pacts signed with the Russians for S- 400,” said Air Marshal during a press conference on the IAF’s fire power demonstration Vayu Shakti 2019 at Phokran ranges later this week.
The statement comes at a time when a political controversy has erupted over a media report about Indian government having made concessions by allegedly dropping some key clauses relating to anti- corruption penalties and sovereign guarantee in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France.
“When agreement is
signed or agreed at the level of heads of two states, there is an assurance from the other that if there is any problem, they will take care of it. So there is no need for sovereign guarantee as you get assurance from the head of a state. You can’t ask him now gives us this in writing ,” said defence sources.
IAF’s Vice Chief Air Marshal Anil Khosla said that Rafale will give a boost to India’s capability and it is a good aircraft. He said that India have had a lot of acquisitions from Russians and Americans earlier. “The process of the governmentto- gover nment agreement with Russia and America are generally already streamlined, or should I say evolved.”