In Pics: Russia still India's largest defence partner

In future too, Russia is likely to be India’s largest defence partner. India has emerged as the biggest importer of major arms with overseas procurements exceeding that of China and Pakistan.

New Delhi, Feb 22: Despite India expanding its military ties with the US, Europe and Israel, Russia remains New Delhi's Number 1 supplier of weapons with America at a distant second, according to a report on global arms trade in the last five years.

From 2012 to 2016, Russia supplied 68 per cent of India's arms import, as per the survey by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, an international think-tank that researches on conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.

In the same period, the US supplied 14 per cent of arms to India, followed by Israel (7.2 per cent).

Here are some images that capture long-standing defence ties between India and Russia:

India - Russia sign defence protocol

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Russian Counterpart General Sergei Shoigu, signing the protocol after the 16th meeting of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation, in New Delhi. Image courtesy: PTI.

INS Vikramaditya is commissioned

Former defence minister AK Antony commissioned the completely refurbished carrier Admiral Gorshkov into the Indian Navy as INS Vikramaditya at the Sevmash Shipyard in the city of Severodvinsk in Russia on November 16, 2013 . Image courtesy: PTI.

India-Russia joint military exercise 2015

Indian and Russian soldiers practice combat shooting during the joint India-Russia Military Exercise at Mahajan Field Firing Range, Bikaner in 2015. Image courtesy: PTI.

IAF MiG-29 at Aero India 2009

India was the first country to place order for the MiG-29 even when it was in its initial development phase. India had placed the order for more than 50 MiG-29s in 1980. MiG-29 was used by India a lot in Kargil war. Image source: Flickr

Indian air force marshals in Sukhoi Su-30 MKI

A member of the Indian Air Force marshals in a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI on the flight line, July 13, at Lajes Field in Portugal photographed in 2008. The IAF passed through Lajes on their way to the Red Flag (an air-to-air combat training exercise) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Image source: lajes.af.mil

Indian Army Armoured Corps T-90 main battle tank

T-90S Bhishma of the Indian Army is fitted only with a 'two-tiered' protection system: the first tier is the composite armour in the turret, second tier is third generation Kontakt-5 ERA. Image courtesy: Flickr

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