Despite sanctions, India's dependence on Russian military equipment likely to persist for decades to come
India is received batteries of S-400 air defence systems from Russia, so will remain dependent on the OEM for technical support for years to come. (Photo: Rosoboronexport)
Despite boosting indigenous production and diversifying its sources of military equipment, India is in no position to give up its long-time dependence on Russia.
India’s enduring dependence on Russian equipment – whose availability has been adversely impacted by sanctions imposed on Moscow by the US and its NATO partners for its invasion of Ukraine – is expected to persist, despite emerging obstacles.
Though Delhi had reduced this reliance on Russia by some 33% between 2011 and 2020, a cross-section of senior Indian military officers, defence officials and security analysts concur that its requirement for Russian miliary equipment will persist over the next 10-15 years, if not longer.
Defence analyst Maj Gen A.P Singh (retired) said: ‘Switching to alternative supply sources was not even a
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft]()
Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft
The procurement and acceleration production plans – some of which still await approval – across the air and land domains will aim to strengthen the operational needs of the Israel Defense Forces.
-
![US reforms its defence acquisition system to focus on commercial capabilities]()
US reforms its defence acquisition system to focus on commercial capabilities
This shift is planned to accelerate the procurement and fielding of capabilities. As part of this strategy, the US also intends modernise its regulations in an attempt to change its bureaucratic and risk-averse culture.
-
![Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts]()
Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts
More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations took part in the 11th iteration of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre multi-domain event which was held across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.
-
![US Africa Command targets logistic solutions]()
US Africa Command targets logistic solutions
AFRICOM is seeking IT systems and supply chain management solutions to enhance interoperability and standardise logistical processes in its area of responsibility.
-
![Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending]()
Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending
Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.
-
![Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave]()
Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave
Vehicle and technology companies are reporting substantial growth compared to the first half of 2024. Italy’s Fincantieri saw revenues jump 24% for the first half of the year compared to 2024 and Thales up 6.8% for the same period. General Dynamics reported second quarter revenue growth of 8.9% for the second quarter compared to last year and MilDef reported organic order intake growth of 58%.
