India, Russia to Set up Defence Ministers’ Hotline

In order to speed up decision-making regarding on-going defence projects, India and Russia have decided to set a ministerial ‘hot line’.

Quarterly conference calls will be held to ensure that projects are progressing on schedule. This was decided when Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with his new Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar, in New Delhi, Russian media reported.

Moscow supplies about 70 percent of New Delhi's military equipment, with sales amounting to $3.8 billion last year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Although many details of the meeting held last Wednesday have not been publicized, various  media reports said Russia has agreed to supply an unspecified number of MiG-29K fighter jets and Ka-31 helicopters to outfit India's first domestically designed aircraft carrier, the Vikrant.

Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said after the meeting that the two sides have decided to ‘fast track’ several defence projects.

Prominent among the projects is one to jointly develop the fifth generation fighter, the PAK-FA. The project has recently been marred by friction, with India complaining that Russia is not making enough progress on the fighter's $10 billion design.

Various reports said that the Indian Air Force had reduced the number of PAK FA fighters it intends to buy from 220 to around 130 to 145 following clashes over the direction of the project. Russia has meanwhile demanded more time and an additional $1 billion for the fighter's development.

India has also complained that Moscow is not sharing all information regarding the Su-30MKI and other aircraft. The ministers agreed to share all information concerning problems and accidents involving Russian aircrafts operated by both militaries.