Russia signed a contract to supply MANPADS Igla-S to India and allowed their production in the country under license.
A new arms agreement between India and the Russian Federation
According to the media, Russia will transfer some of its anti-aircraft capabilities and technologies to India.
Representatives of the Moscow state arms company “Rosoboronexport” are working with Indian private and state enterprises to organize the joint production of aviation weapons and their integration into the existing aviation fleet of India.
It is about transferring and producing hand-held anti-aircraft missiles “Igla-S”.
“Igla-S” is a man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) that can be used by an individual or a crew to shoot down an enemy aircraft.
We have already signed the relevant document and now together with an Indian private company we are organizing the production of Igla-S MANPADS in India, - said the head of Rosoboronexport Oleksandr Mikheev.
India is the world's largest arms importer
According to Reuters, India is the world's largest arms importer, while Russia remains its largest supplier.
This is despite the damage to the reputation of the Russian army and weapons from the war against Ukraine, where Russia has suffered numerous setbacks at the hands of a smaller and Western-equipped army.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), between 2018 and 2022, Russia accounted for 45% of arms imports to India, France for 29%, and the United States for 11%.
In early 2023, India and Russia also began joint production of AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles.
