US aims to edge out Russia in big weapons sales to India

[Neo]

US aims to edge out Russia in big weapons sales to India​

* US competitors Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co are striving to unseat suppliers from Russia

WASHINGTON: The United States is gearing up to battle Russia and Europe for sales of billions of dollars in jet fighters, cargo aircraft and other arms to India.

US officials regard sales to India, with a potential $40 billion arms market including missile-defense systems, as a way to cement strategic ties and boost bilateral military cooperation as a hedge against China’s growing clout.

“By reaching out to India, we have made the bet that the planet’s future lies in pluralism, democracy and market economics,” said Nicholas Burns, the State Department’s No. 3 official, “rather than in intolerance, despotism and state planning,” an apparent reference to communist-ruled China.

“A significant Indian defense purchase from the United States ... would be a great leap forward and signal a real commitment to long-term military partnership,” he added in the November/December issue of the journal Foreign Affairs.

Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, cited as an example the 126 new multirole fighter aircraft sought by the Indian air force, a potential $10.2 billion deal coveted by Washington as a key to stepped-up military ties.

Uphill fight to supplant Russia: Six fighter suppliers from Europe, Russia and the United States are to submit detailed bids by March 3. The US competitors, Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co, are striving to unseat suppliers from Russia, India’s chief arms source during decades of Cold War US-Indian distrust.

Russia is offering its MiG-35 to replace the earlier-model MiGs the Indians now fly. Also in the race are France’s Dassault Rafale, Sweden’s Saab AB JAS-39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, made by a consortium of British, German, Italian and Spanish companies.

Last week, Chicago-based Boeing agreed in principle to send as much as $1 billion in aerospace manufacturing work to India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, or HAL, over the next 10 years.

Under a pact signed Thursday in New Delhi, the mostly weapons-related work would start at $10 million to $20 million annually, “increasing in size and complexity as business opportunities develop,” a Boeing statement said.

Boeing hopes this may help meet what would be its need to produce goods worth half the fighter contract’s value if its F/A-18 Super Hornet strike aircraft wins over rivals.

But Boeing, the largest US exporter, struck the deal because it made good business sense and because it wants to be part of India’s aerospace industry, Jim Albaugh, president and chief executive of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems business unit, said in an email interview with Reuters. HAL’s projects for Boeing, Albaugh added, may include subsystems of the F/A-18, C-17 cargo aircraft, P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft and heavy-lift Chinook helicopters.

Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, which is offering India its widely sold F-16 fighter, is close to a deal on six C-130J “Super Hercules” cargo planes valued at up to $1 billion. This would mark India’s biggest US military purchase so far.

Longer term, Lockheed says it is expecting opportunities to sell command and control systems, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile interceptors plus Hellfire and Longbow anti-tank guided missile systems, among other advanced weapons. Earlier this month, a high-level US government working group cleared the way for Lockheed and Boeing - the Pentagon’s No. 1 and No. 2 suppliers by prime-contract value - to offer India cutting-edge radar technology as part of their fighter bids.

“The relationship has matured faster than many anticipated,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, until August the Pentagon’s top arms-sale official and now an advisor to the private US-India Business Council.

Northrop Grumman Corp, General Dynamics Corp and Raytheon Co - the three next-largest US military contactors - all have announced moves of their own recently designed to tap into lucrative Indian markets. But US companies face an uphill fight to supplant Russia, which has many manufacturing deals in place and deep ties to the Indian defense establishment.

Partly as a result of such tie-ins, “Washington will be extremely cautious about release of sensitive technology,” said Joel Johnson, an expert in international military trade at Teal Group, a Fairfax, Virginia consultancy. reuters

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[KENT]

Definetly this is very high time for Indian aviation market to bolster its expertise in aviation industry by collabrating with some of leading aviation comapnies of the world. But outperforming strong russian arms market influence over their indian counterpart will be absolutely turn out to be very hard nut to crack for US aviation giants. If US really want to win the heart and confidence of Indian, Us will have to relexed some of tough protocols of sensitive technologies that serve a string while exporting such tech to some other country. I don't really think so India would directly go for Patriortic missile defence system as mentioned in above article, but joint cooperation in anti-missile defence system as well coopertion in Space application will definetly Indian would like to proceed further with the US. It is not that Indians would get afraid of sanctions and refrain from entering into a parternership with US industrial giant, becuase Indian have develop a flexiblity to endure any kind of sanction.

 

[blain2]

The sooner this happens, the better for Pakistan at least. After US gets a major weapons sale in India, Pakistan can actually deal (defense related) with the Russians at a new level.

 

[mujahideen]

The sooner this happens, the better for Pakistan at least. After US gets a major weapons sale in India, Pakistan can actually deal (defense related) with the Russians at a new level.

I personally like this idea. Because of the U.S.-India defence cooperations Pakistan can also come closer to Russia. I think that Russia is looking to sell their military equipment to Pakistan, like the engines for the JF-17.

 

[KENT]

The sooner this happens, the better for Pakistan at least. After US gets a major weapons sale in India, Pakistan can actually deal (defense related) with the Russians at a new level.

Could you enlighten me? as How does close up of India-US ties would open the door of russian gesture for pakistan?

 

[mujahideen]

Could you enlighten me? as How does close up of India-US ties would open the door of russian gesture for pakistan?

Well as we know Russia and the U.S. dont like each other. What will soon happen is possible another Cold War. With the U.S. fully backing India, Russia will also need Pakistan to counter Americas influence in the region. I think that both India and Pakistan benefit from this. Both of these countries cant afford to let India or Pakistan slip away, so in that sense both countries will be getting some sort of assistance from either Russia or America.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Seems to me that US and the west are playing their cards to get India on their Side in future to counter china and the again emerging USSR. Since USSR is so huge you need a new powerful ally in the region, viz India, against China.

All the Nuclear deals with US and the west and weapons offered are the plans to bag india in the world consortium against USSR and China.

 

[mujahideen]

Seems to me that US and the west are playing their cards to get India on their Side in future to counter china and the again emerging USSR. Since USSR is so huge you need a new powerful ally in the region, viz India, against China.

All the Nuclear deals with US and the west and weapons offered are the plans to bag india in the world consortium against USSR and China.

This is exactly my point. With the U.S. setting foot in the region,Russia will also need some one. And that is Pakistan. And all these deals offered to India and Pakistan will only benefit them.

 

[KENT]

Well as we know Russia and the U.S. dont like each other. What will soon happen is possible another Cold War. With the U.S. fully backing India, Russia will also need Pakistan to counter Americas influence in the region. I think that both India and Pakistan benefit from this. Both of these countries cant afford to let India or Pakistan slip away, so in that sense both countries will be getting some sort of assistance from either Russia or America.

Russia has to go a long away before indulging in any kind of future cold war with US. Since the breakup of Former Soviet Union, Russia has realized the fact that unless and until that don’t dedicate themselves in Economic as well as Social reforms prevailing in Russia, till then they are not competent enough to compete with US militarily as well as economically.

Regarding Russia’s need of Pakistan to counter US, Russia would have to create an unprecedented amount of influence worldwide to establish such relationship. Utmost Russia can do is to supply Pakistan with invaluable weapons and economic assistance, but the moment when US come to know about such gesture is being played to counter US presence in Asia, it will squeeze all the yearly aid, funding as well as economic assistance and not to mention some quality weapon supply to Pakistan. The possibility of sanction on Pakistan can’t ruled out under such scenario. If Pakistan really willing to counter US presence, then they will have to reform economically to resist the blow of sanctions.

 

[KENT]

Seems to me that US and the west are playing their cards to get India on their Side in future to counter china and the again emerging USSR. Since USSR is so huge you need a new powerful ally in the region, viz India, against China.

All the Nuclear deals with US and the west and weapons offered are the plans to bag india in the world consortium against USSR and China.

I think, you should bear in your mind, India has mentained its status of Non-alignment since its independence against severe eventualities and overwhelming odds as well as sanctions regardless of what kind card,game, ploy US want to play to align India in their favour.

Regarding to counter Chinese, this is famous misconception among some of the non-indian that all the US close up with India in terms of Nucler cooperation as well enticement of sophisticated weapon is only to counter Chinese emergence worldwide. Such enticement and lucrativeness very played out in the past as well to entice the Indian, but Indian were prove to more then match to not to get entangled in it .

Such misconception should be describe as nothing but a wishful thinking to suits according to oneself’s sensitivity. Chinese are the one whose integrity cannot be deter at any cost, no matter what country willing to do this silly misadventure. Chinese is economically as well as militarily formidable enough to counter any such ploy. On other hand Indian have respected their exclusivity long ago and realizes that any misadventure against Chinese would prove to be fatal one and hence move the hands of friendship. But at the same time if Indian integrity get challenged by Chinese or for that matter any other country in the world, India is more then competent enough to counter Chinese on their own without any kind of external help whatsoever.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

But at the same time if Indian integrity get challenged by Chinese or for that matter any other country in the world, India is more then competent enough to counter Chinese on their own without any kind of external help whatsoever.

One emotion for your post.... but continued

 

[KENT]

One emotion for your post.... but continued

Absolutely, seems to me you are running out of words and hence unsurprising way of reply,Does it really felt spicy my previous post?

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Absolutely, seems to me you are running out of words and hence unsurprising way of reply,Does it really felt spicy my previous post?

No but it felt like people who have so much unrealistic belief in wrong understandings of situations and world politics for the years to come.

 

[Vinod2070]

I would only say that many Pakistanis are actually more sure of Chinese capabilities than the Chinese themselves. The difference between China and India is not as huge as some of you may think, though it is there for all to see. It is definitely not as big as between USA and China.

No country is going to be a walkover for the other. 1962 was way back, and India has learnt it's lessons.

No disrespect meant to the Chinese who are doing very well for themselves.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

I would only say that many Pakistanis are actually more sure of Chinese capabilities than the Chinese themselves. The difference between China and India is not as huge as some of you may think, though it is there for all to see. It is definitely not as big as between USA and China.

No country is going to be a walkover for the other. 1962 was way back, and India has learnt it's lessons.

No disrespect meant to the Chinese who are doing very well for themselves.

Its not that i refered to 1962 capabilities but i reconn that China is still more potent force than India. Furthermore, India can not engage with China at any cost on its own without being supported from US as Pakistan is next to India.