American Threatens Economic War Against India Over Defence Ties With Russia: Delhi Says It Won’t Be Moved By Coercion

Indian government officials have repeatedly pledged that the country will not accept coercion by threats of economic warfare made unilaterally by United States, with Washington repeatedly expressing a willingness to impose economic sanctions on the South Asian state unless it abandons a deal to purchase Russian air defence systems to presumably purchase a Western alternative. Tensions between Delhi and Washington rose following the signing of a $5.43 billion contract in October 2018 for the purchase of five units of Russian S-400 surface to air missile systems, the last of which will be delivered to India in 2025. The United States has sought to increase the market share of Western arms manufacturers and shut Russia out of international arms markets by threatening potential clients for high end Russian weapons systems with sanctions. Other countries threatened in such a way have included Indonesia, China, Egypt and Turkey among several others. India has continued undeterred, and a week after the U.S. ambassador in Delhi Kenneth Juster reiterated the threat of sanctions, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stressed the country had an independent foreign policy guiding defence acquisitions in line with its national security interests, and would not be forced to tow the American line. 

India will dispatch 100 officers and airmen to Russia for training and maintenance of the S-400 later n January, with hundreds more expected to follow as the country purchases more of the advance missile systems than any other client. The first S-400 unit is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2021 or in early 2022, according to Indian Defence Ministry officials, with the first $800 million instalment for the missile systems having been paid to Russia in 2019. The S-400, and its more road mobile counterpart the S-300V4, are considered the most capable multirole long range air defence systems in the world today, and are prized for their extremely powerful sensor suites, their versatility and their formidable electronic warfare countermeasures. The missile system has a 400km maximum engagement range, is well suited to neutralising hypersonic targets, and will provide India with a viable means of countering stealth aircraft which are being deployed in fast growing numbers by neighbouring China. The Indian Defence Ministry is reported to be considering further purchases of high end Russian armaments which could lead to further American threats, including Su-57 stealth fighters, MiG-35 medium weight fighters and T-14 heavy battle tanks.