By EMANUELE SCIMIA
India is aiming to modernize its strategic arsenal amongst the introduction of advanced US as well as Russian defence systems. However, or as well as then military machine experts state that piece the South Asian giant needs unusual technologies to popular off a self-sufficient arms manufacturer – as well as autonomous global geopolitical actor – technical problems could boundary their coexistence. The Indian regime finalized the acquisition of Russia’s S-400 air defence missile organisation before this calendar month as well as is said to live considering the purchase of the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System-II(NASAMS-II) from the United States.
Aside from geopolitical considerations related to Washington’s secondary sanctions against Moscow, the inclusion of these ii platforms inwards India’s developing multi-tiered air defence network could pose problems of compatibility.
Turkey, a US ally inwards the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), is coping amongst similar challenges piece going ahead amongst the S-400’s procurement. America as well as other Nato countries combat that the Russian organisation cannot live integrated amongst the alliance’s defence framework every bit it presents problems of interoperability. By this reasoning, the S-400 should besides non live compatible amongst the NASAMS – which is built yesteryear the US Raytheon National inwards cooperation amongst Kongsberg Defence as well as Aerospace of Norway.
The crucial inquiry for Delhi, every bit good every bit Washington as well as the Kremlin, is determining whether the ii systems tin strength out coexist every bit business office India’s prospective air defence framework.
India has already deployed the Israeli-manufactured SPYDER air defence organisation as well as volition co-develop a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) platform for the regular army amongst State of Israel Aerospace Industries. In addition, they are working on an indigenous Ballistic Missile Defense shield, which volition live equipped amongst Swordfish radar, a variant of an Israeli model.
Interoperability problems
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the US$5.3 billion deal on the S-400 on Oct 5. Washington has several times threatened to impose sanctions on Republic of Republic of India for acquiring Russian arms systems.
According to the Countering America’s Adversaries Sanctions Act (CAATSA) – which the US Congress passed inwards answer to Russia’s alleged meddling inwards American politics as well as armed intervention inwards Syrian Arab Republic as well as Ukraine – the US regime tin strength out penalize countries that engage inwards “significant transactions” amongst Russia’s intelligence as well as military machine sectors. That said, it seems US President Donald Trump is ready to grant a waiver to Delhi.
India, historically a large purchaser of Russian weapons, is buying to a greater extent than advanced US military machine items. However, this diversification of arms suppliers could undermine Delhi’s efforts to laid upwardly a national grid connecting all its air as well as missile defenses. The S-400 as well as the NASAMS lead maintain different encryption systems, as well as this volition strength the Indian Air Force to integrate them into its command as well as command organisation separately. Without exception, air as well as missile shields are withal largely untested against multiple enemy attacks as well as India’s patchy defence network could bear witness to live fifty-fifty less capable.
Retired Indian Major General Shashi Asthana told Asia Times that his soil had gotten used to treatment weapons platforms from Russia, the US, State of Israel as well as French Republic nether its “Make inwards India” industrial initiative. “Defense self-sufficiency is the best pick for India, but the transition to this phase through a transfer of applied scientific discipline as well as its absorption volition lead maintain or as well as then time,” he said. “We lead maintain signed the bargain on the S-400 for the interim menses because nosotros necessitate a multifariousness of systems for our multi-layered air defence umbrella.”
There are besides economical reasons behind the Modi administration’s determination to plow to different unusual suppliers, Asthana added. “India has been the world’s largest buyer of military machine equipment inwards recent years as well as is seeking to nail competitive deals.” However, he admitted that the Indian armed forces would lead maintain shortcomings inwards interoperability “until the soil becomes self-reliant.”
Leaking of defence secrets
As to whether codes as well as applied scientific discipline linked to NASAMS batteries could live exposed to information collection yesteryear S-400 units operated yesteryear the Indian military, as well as vice versa, Alexander Savelyev, principal enquiry swain at the Moscow-based Primakov Institute of World Economy as well as International Relations, said that such interference was technically possible. But he noted the ii systems should outset live reprogrammed amongst the assist of specialists authorized yesteryear the suppliers, which is presumably prohibited yesteryear both the US as well as Russia.
Questions lead maintain reportedly been raised most the possibility of Moscow having access to Nato’s technical information as well as defence secrets should Russian technicians assist Turkey inwards deploying the S-400. Asthana, who is currently a principal teacher at Delhi-based think-tank United Service Institution of India, dismissed this concern. “The problems of secrecy [in supporting incompatible assets such every bit the S-400 as well as the NASAMS] are ordinarily dealt amongst yesteryear agency of specific contract clauses as well as the conclusion of COMCASA-like accords amongst the countries concerned,” he said.
India as well as the US inked the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility as well as Security Agreement) lastly month. Such a pact volition permit both countries to portion communication as well as satellite information as well as relaxation Delhi’s access to high-end US defence products.
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