India and Russia likely to sign a $2.5 billion deal for four stealth frigates

New Delhi, Oct 4: To boost Indian Navy beside procuring missile from Russia, both India and Russia might also sign a $2.5 billion deal for four Krivak (Talwar) class stealth frigates. The deal is likely to happen during Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin's delegation level meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on October 5, 2018.

Russian president will reach India in the evening of October 4, 2018 for the annual India-Russia summit. Sources said that out of these four frigates, two warships will be constructed at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad and the other two will be built the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).

Both India and Russian Federation had signed the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for four frigates around two years back in 2016. The total strength of Indian Navy as far as frigates is concerned is six stealth frigates. They included three Talwar class and three Teg class frigates and all were bought from Russia. They were inducted in Indian Navy from 2003 to 2013.

Actually India has to deal at multiple front diplomatically as far as procurement of Arms and ammunitions are concerned. Inida is in talks with the United States to get waiver of sanctions as Indian armed forces heavily dependent on Russian made equipments. Indian Air Force (IAF) chief B S Dhanoa saying that the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) was unlikely to come in the way of the deal. Dhanoa said that the first deliveries would take place after two years of the signing of the contract.

Former foreign secretary Shashank too was of the view that this sanctions can be done away with India being an old ally of Russia. So this is possible that India might get some relaxation from the US.

The new frigates will be powered by gas turbine engines to be supplied by Ukrainian firm Ukroboronprom's Gas Turbine Research and Production Complex Zorya-Mashproekt. These are Grigorovich-class 'Project 1135.6' frigates. Both the countries signing a Rs 39,000-crore deal for the supply of Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India is also on cards. This missile system is capable of destroying incoming aerial targets at a range of 400 km.

Sources said that Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has left her visit to Kazakhstan and Krgystan half way to attend the India-Russia summit. She was on an official visit to Kazakhstan and Krgystan till Oct 6.