The Engine Delay Euphemism: HAL’s Go-To Explanation for Missed Deadlines

 

The HT, quoting PTI, reported on December 12, 2025, that HAL has revised the delivery schedule for the LCA Mk-1A and HTT-40. It now aims to deliver 5 LCA Mk-1A jets and 3 HTT-40 trainers by March 2026.

HAL had earlier committed to deliver 10 LCA Mk-1A fighters and 12 HTT-40 trainers by March 2026.

HAL attributes the timeline revision for the LCA Mk-1A to delays in the completion of weapons trials and the delivery of GE F404 engines, and for the HTT-40 to delays in delivery of the Honeywell TPE331-12B turboprop engine.

LCA Mk-1A Orders

A total of 180 Tejas Mk-1A fighters are on order with HAL — 83 against an initial order placed in February 2021 and 97 under a follow-up order placed in September 2025.

HAL has created three production lines for the aircraft.

GE-F404-IN20 Delivery

Based on the initial LCA Mk-1A order, HAL placed an order for 99 GE F404 engines with General Electric (GE) Aerospace on August 17, 2021.

Ironically, when HAL placed this order, GE Aerospace had already shut down the F404-IN20 production line after fulfilling prior commitments by delivering 65 engines for the Tejas LCA by 2016, with no further orders anticipated at that time.

HAL’s August 2021 order for an additional 99 engines required reactivation of the dormant line and vendor supply chain after a five-year hiatus. The reactivation faced further challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, there was a significant delay, and the first engine arrived only in March 2025.

Having resumed production in 2024, GE is now producing just a few F404 engines per month.

HAL likes to attribute LCA Mk-1A delivery timeline slippages entirely to “supply chain constraints” in the production of GE F404 engines. In reality, the slippages are largely attributable to delays in developing the Tejas Mk-1A, which led to the shutdown of the GE F404 production line. The truth is, HAL is still not ready to deliver LCA Mk-1A aircraft because of pending weapons trials.

Additional Order

The MoD, on September 26, 2025, signed a ₹62,370 crore contract with HAL for the procurement of 97 LCA Mk-1A aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), including 68 fighters and 29 twin-seaters, along with associated equipment.

Delivery of these aircraft will commence during 2027–28 and be completed over a period of six years. The aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64%, with 67 additional items incorporated over and above the previous LCA Mk-1A contract.

To fulfil the additional order, HAL announced on November 7, 2025, that it had signed a deal with GE Aerospace for 113 F404-IN20 engines. The deal, estimated to be worth $1 billion, includes a support package for execution of the programme.

The engine deliveries will take place between 2027 and 2032, HAL said in a statement on X.

According to the HT report, HAL is confident of making good on the timeline slippages in the years ahead.

HTT-40 Orders

During DefExpo 2022, HAL and the IAF signed an agreement for the supply of 70 HTT-40 trainers to the IAF for basic training.

The Ministry of Defence, on March 7, 2023, signed a contract with HAL for the supply of 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft.

Reportedly, HAL was to deliver the first trainer by September 2025 and a total of 12 trainers by March 2026. Supply of all 70 aircraft on order was to be completed over a period of six years.

TPE331-12B Engines

In July 2022, HAL signed a $100 million contract with Honeywell for 88 engines to power the HTT-40. Under the contract, Honeywell would deliver 32 engines, with the rest to be built at HAL through technology transfer.

Notably, HAL placed the order on Honeywell based on its DefExpo 2022 agreement with the IAF, without waiting for a formal contract from the MoD.

According to the HT report, the first engine is expected to arrive in January 2026, another four by March 31, and the rest at the rate of two per month.

HT also reports that two series-production HTT-40s are already flying with “Category B” (used) TPE331-12B engines, earlier fitted on prototype aircraft.

Felon Su-57's Most Lethal Weapon - The S-71 Combat Drone

 

In August 2024, photos appeared online showing an air launched drone on the external pylon of a Su-57 undergoing 

Russia's Sukhoi Design Bureau unveiled the air-launched stealthy combat UAV designated S-71.during Army 2024.

Sukhoi reportedly initiated development of the S-71 UAV to meet RuMoD specifications drafted in 2019, which emphasised multi-mission capability.

However, based on operational experience, Sukhoi tweaked the specification to increase range and reduce the radar cross-section of the drone. Russia's experience in Ukraine has emphasised the need for greater range and increased survivability. The intensity of the conflict additionally emphasized scalability through reduced production cost.

The S-71 began captive-carry trials in April 2024 at Russia’s flight research centre in Zhukovsky, with test flights involving the Su-57 fighter.

Later, a photograph of a Su-57 with a S-71M "Monochrome" UAV suspended under its wing appeared online. According to Aviation Week magazine, the photo was taken on April 18, 2024 during "Monochrome" testing. Although the S-71M is designed for internal fuselage mounting, it was suspended under the wing for testing.

In August 2024, it was widely reported that Russia had begun production of the S-71M.

Graphiic showing front view of the S-71K on Su-57 external pylons

S-71 Drone

The S-71 is an air launched UAV that can be tasked with target identification, marking or destruction.

The drone is optimised for radar stealth. It features a trapezoidal fuselage (similar to the Storm Shadow missile), folding wings and an inverted V-shaped tail. 

It is powered by a small-sized turbofan engine TRDD-50. This engine is also used in the cruise missiles Kh-59M and Kh-101. The drone is capable of reaching a speed of about 0.6 Mach and  a maximum altitude of up to 8 thousand metres.

There are two variants of the drone - S-71M Monochrome and S-71K Carpet. 

S-71K Carpet

The S-71K performs the role of a conventional air-to-surface cruise missile. It features a modular (cluster, high-explosive and shaped charges) warhead  with electro-optical guidance for target acquisition. The variant is designed for external carriage only.

S-71M Monochrome

The S-71M functions as a reconnaissance UAV allowing its operator to monitor the target area using its electro optical sensors. On locating a target, the drone operator can mark it using a laser for precision attack by weapons launched by a Su-57 stealth fighter or Okhotnik S-70 stealth drone.  

The electro-optical sensors of the S-71M are day and night capable.

The drone likely uses optical guidance and recognition technology developed for Lancet drones and Izdeliye 305 multipurpose guided missiles.

The S-71M can also be housed in the weapons bay of an Su-57 or S-70 Okhotnik UAV.

The S-71 began captive-carry trials in April 2024, after undergoing significant design tweak based on Russia’s operational experience in Ukraine, at Russia’s flight research centre in Zhukovsky, with test flights involving the Su-57 fighter. 

The S-71 drone effectively extends the range of stealth fighters deep into layered air defence protected airspace without risk to pilot life. 

Lockheed Martin and TASL: The Partnership Likely to Shape India’s Next Transport Fleet

 

IAF C-130J landing on a ALG during IAF exercise ‘Gaganshakti-2018'

Photo credit: PIB

TASL is building an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility for C-130 transport aircraft in Bengaluru. According to ET, TASL is also preparing a bid to supply medium transport aircraft (MTA) to the IAF.

The new MRO facility is likely to be completed by 2026 and receive its first C-130J by early 2027. The IAF currently operates a fleet of 12 C-130Js procured under a deal signed in 2008.

An-32 Replacement

The IAF plans to replace its existing fleet of around 100 Antonov An-32 medium transport aircraft acquired from the erstwhile Soviet Union with around 40–80 MTA aircraft.

The An-32s were progressively inducted into the IAF starting in 1984. In June 2009, India signed a $400-million agreement with Ukraine’s Ukrspetsexport to upgrade its fleet of 105 An-32 aircraft and extend their technical life from 25 years to 40 years.

Under the agreement, 40 An-32s were to be upgraded at designer-certified plants in Ukraine, with 10 aircraft being upgraded annually. The remaining 64 An-32s were to be upgraded at the IAF’s No. 1 Base Repair Depot (BRD) in Kanpur using material and technology transfer from Ukraine.

The An-32s will progressively approach the end of their extended technical life from 2030–32 onwards.

Joint Development of MTA with Russia

India initially tried to co-develop its own MTA in partnership with Russia. In 2012, both countries signed a pact to develop a 15-20-tonne aircraft for cargo/troop transportation, paradrop operations, and air-drop of supplies including the ‘low-altitude parachute extraction system.’

The primary objective of the project was for India to achieve self-reliance in design, development and production of aircraft of this size, and to manage the program with international collaboration and a large number of global suppliers. However, the deal was scrapped in 2016 after both countries failed to come to an agreement regarding the engine and aircraft design.

Current IAF Transport Fleet

India currently operates a wide range of transport aircraft including the Dornier 228, Avro HS-748, An-32s, C-130Js and the larger IL-76s and C-17s.

The IAF’s Avro fleet is being replaced by the Airbus Defence and Space developed C-295. Sixteen aircraft are being delivered to India in flyaway condition from Spain, while 40 are being locally assembled in India by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space. 

Of the 40 aircraft to be assembled in India by TASL, the first 16 would incorporate 30 per cent indigenous components. The remaining aircraft would need to be assembled with 60 per cent indigenous components.

With local assembly and indigenisation of the C-295 well on track, focus has now shifted from Avro replacement to An-32 replacement.

Desired MTA Capabilities

As per a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the IAF in December 2022, the replacement aircraft should be capable of operating from high-altitude Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in Ladakh and the Northeast, carrying an 18- to 27-tonne payload.

Notably, the upgraded Indian Air Force An-32RE aircraft has a maximum payload capacity of 7.5 tonnes, but the IAF wants the replacement aircraft to have a much higher 18- to 27-tonne payload.

Apparently, the Government of India is not sure how many aircraft would be needed to replace the An-32 fleet.

It has been reported that “in its RFI, the IAF has sought a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost of the aircraft and associated equipment for a batch of 40, 60, and 80 aircraft.”

The RFI lays emphasis on vendor participation in technology transfer, assistance with indigenisation, and capability building to ensure local manufacture of systems, subsystems, components and spares. Vendors are expected to make India a regional or global hub for MRO.

Vendors Expected to Respond

Three companies have reportedly shown interest in the MTA project — the US’s Lockheed Martin, Brazil’s Embraer, and Europe’s Airbus.

Lockheed has offered its C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, 12 of which are already in use with the IAF. Embraer has offered its latest KC-390 Millennium, and Airbus has proposed its A-400M Atlas.

Embraer has reportedly announced a partnership with Mahindra.

The three aircraft on offer differ greatly in their capabilities, but they have something in common — they are all larger than the aircraft envisaged by the IAF, assuming that the MTA proposed to be developed with Russia was the ideal aircraft for the IAF.

As would be expected, none was conceived for the kind of high-altitude landing ground operations that the IAF undertakes to support the heavy deployment of the Indian Army along the Line of Actual Control. No other country has such a requirement.

The C-130, with its 19-tonne payload, comes closest to the Qualitative Requirements (QRs) that the IAF has projected. The Embraer KC-390, which can carry 26 tonnes, exceeds the requirement, and the A-400M, which can carry 37 tonnes, stretches credulity over the logic on which the aircraft is being proposed.

With reduced payloads, the KC-390 and A-400M are likely to match, or even exceed, the C-130’s landing and takeoff performance.

Conclusion

The C-130J has an excellent reputation in the IAF. It is ideally suited to India’s mission environment, which often involves operating out of austere, high-elevation airstrips in hot conditions.

On August 20, 2013, an IAF C-130J landed at the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Ladakh. At an elevation of 16,614 ft, the airstrip is believed to be the highest in the world.

Besides good reputation and performance, the C-130 is likely to emerge as a strong MTA contender for the following reasons:

1. It is operated by 22 countries, with more than 570 aircraft manufactured so far. In comparison, the KC-390 has 10 operators and 47 aircraft produced so far, while the A-400M has 10 operators and 178 aircraft delivered.

2. TASL has a working relationship with Lockheed Martin, and an enviable reputation within the armed forces as a reliable private-sector vendor.

3. US proclivity to impose sanctions is unlikely to be a stumbling block because the US is also known to make exceptions, particularly when they affect a military-industrial complex giant like Lockheed Martin.

However, there is a stumbling block — a big one at that. Lockheed Martin will absolutely deny any meaningful transfer of technology.

Strategic Foundation Laid for Upcoming Defence Mega-Deals — Su-57, S-400 & BrahMos-NG

via X

A lot of analysts and enthusiasts monitoring India's defense preparedness are likely disappointed that the joint statement released after the 23rd India–Russia Summit in New Delhi on December 4 and 5 did not list any defense-related MoUs or agreements. The lack of mention contrasts with multiple statements by Russian officials promising cooperation in strategic segments such as defence, civil aviation, and space technology.

Going by the MoUs and agreements that were signed, the focus of the summit was largely on economic cooperation—trade, energy security, fertilizers, workforce mobility, etc.

One way of interpreting this emphasis on economics and trade is that the summit was focused on laying a more robust, sanctions-proof foundation for intensified cooperation in defence, civil aviation, and space technology.

Currently, because of U.S. sanctions, India cannot trade with Russia in USD. And India does not have enough roubles to buy additional S-400 regiments, 2–3 squadrons of Su-57 stealth fighters, or small modular reactors. So how could India sign contracts for such strategic procurements?

India would prefer to pay in INR, but what would Russia do with INR? At present, India does not provide enough goods and services of interest to Russia.

India needs to first step up exports to Russia to more than match its imports from that country. Only then can it place further strategic orders. So, no S-400 or Su-57 deals for now.

Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that the summit was largely focused on stepping up Indian exports—food products, labour, and high-tech manufactured goods—to Russia.

Strategic-Level Shipbuilding Cooperation

There were, however, two strategic MoUs signed during the summit that have not received as much coverage in India's corporate media as they deserve.

India and Russia agreed to finalize a Shipbuilding Cooperation Framework covering joint ship design, technology transfer, local manufacturing, and maritime infrastructure.

India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Russia's Ministry of Transport also signed an MoU to train Indian seafarers for Arctic navigation.

The agreements are aimed at enabling joint production of ice-class vessels in India and training Indian sailors to operate and navigate ships through Arctic waters.

Ice-class ships are vessels with reinforced hulls designed to safely navigate areas with floating or broken sea ice, such as those seen during Arctic summers.

They differ from icebreakers, which are specialized vessels—often equipped with powerful propulsion systems, including nuclear power—that can break through solid, winter ice cover. Icebreakers typically have rounded, sloping bows that ride up onto the ice and break it using the vessel’s weight and forward motion.

As a result of these agreements, India would be able to manufacture and export ice-class ships to shipping companies worldwide for operations through the Northern Sea Route (NSR). It would also be able to provide trained crews. Together, this would sharply increase the export of Indian goods and services in a niche sector.

Currently, annual cargo volumes through the NSR fluctuate at around 35–40 million tonnes. President Putin wants to raise this volume to 200 million tonnes by 2031. There are not enough ice-class ships in the world today to meet that requirement.

India itself will need such ships as its own trade volumes on the NSR rise.

Joint ice-class shipbuilding will not only deepen strategic alignment between India and Russia, but also facilitate increased bilateral trade.

I dwelt on the subject at greater length in an earlier blog post. 

Labour Mobility

Also during the summit, India and Russia signed an agreement defining a framework enabling citizens of one country to engage in temporary work in the other.

Russia has expressed interest in bringing in millions of Indian workers across manufacturing, construction, trade, and services.

In August, the Ambassador of India to Russia, Vinay Kumar, told TASS that Russia has manpower requirements, while India has skilled manpower, and that Indian workers are already being hired under existing Russian regulations, quotas, and company-level arrangements.

He noted that most Indian workers currently in Russia are employed in construction and textiles, but interest in hiring Indians in machinery and electronics is rising.

Expansion of Indian Exports

Indian firms have already increased shipments of equipment, spare parts, and tools to support Russian industrial needs. In pharmaceuticals, Indian generic manufacturers are supplying medicines to Russian pharmacies and hospitals.

Russia is also seeking cooperation with Indian firms to co-produce energy sector equipment for later re-export—including to African markets.

Trade in agricultural products increased by more than 60% in 2024.

A representative of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) told TASS that Indian packaged foods—curries, ready meals, legumes, sweets, and snacks—are already widely sold in Russia, and that tea, coffee, rice, spices, and apparel could replace European brands on Russian shelves.

India has raised concerns over non-tariff barriers, particularly affecting agricultural and marine products. Exports of prawns and shrimp, for instance, could rise significantly beyond the current level of approximately $123 million.

Solid Economic Foundation Leading to Strategic Alignment

Over the past two years, India and Russia have worked to create a stable economic foundation, targeting trade parity.

The two sides previously aimed to raise annual bilateral trade from approximately $60 billion to $100 billion by 2030. During the summit, the Indian Prime Minister expressed confidence that this milestone would be achieved ahead of schedule.

It appears likely that most of the increase will come from expanded Indian exports, which is precisely what this summit focused on.

When Will the Su-57s, S-400s, and SMRs Come?

Russia has offered the Su-57 to India, including technology transfer and local production. India is expected to take a decision after prolonged negotiations.

As previously noted, the IAF is likely interested in the twin-seat Su-57D variant, expected to fly in early 2026. A twin-seat configuration would allow better crew coordination for loyal-wingman UAV operations and enhance training.

The IAF will also want confirmation that the Su-57 can carry the BrahMos-NG internally. Since BrahMos-NG development has only recently begun, urgency on India's part is low. You can read how the BrahMos-NG and Su-57 acquisitions are possible linked at this blog post.

Likewise, India is awaiting delivery of two remaining S-400 regiments ordered in 2018, and these have not yet been fully paid for.

Contracts will be signed only after all associated technical, logistical, and financial discussions are completed.

Conclusion

The reason major defence deals did not find mention in the summit joint statement is that the deals have not yet been finalized. The summit focused instead on building the economic and logistical foundation necessary for a renewed and significantly deeper strategic partnership.

Revived Flight Trials of Il-114-300 Renew HAL’s Interest in Regional Airliner Program

⚡️🇮🇳🇷🇺India and Russia begin talks on joint production of Il-114 aircraft: Rostec Chief

The plane is designed to handle short, unpaved runways — even in Arctic cold. pic.twitter.com/DWULMM8h2h

— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) December 5, 2025

 

Sputnik India has reported, quoting the Rostec Chief, that India and Russia have begun talks on the joint production of the Il-114-300 aircraft.

The Il-114-300 is a modernised variant of the Il-114. Powered by the newly developed Klimov TV7-117ST turboprop engine, the aircraft is a 52-64-seat regional airliner, an analog of the ATR-42, intended to meet the requirements of regional civil aviation carriers.

Development History

The Il-114 was created in the eighties, taking into account the needs of civil aviation of that time and the capabilities of the Soviet aviation industry. It was a regional liner with a payload of several tons. The first flight took place on March 20, 1990. However, fewer than 20 aircraft were built. Production was halted due to industrial difficulties and lack of customer interest.

In 2014, the Russian leadership ordered the launch of the Il-114-300 variant.

The Il-114-300 variant retains the original airframe but features an improved power plant, high-performance propellers, and avionics, resulting in improved flight performance and operational economic characteristics.

The maiden flight of the aircraft took place at the Zhukovsky airfield on December 16, 2020.

Certification was expected to be completed in 2022, with serial production and deliveries expected to commence in 2023.

Indian Interest

In November 2019, ET reported that HAL is contemplating local assembly of the aircraft for Indian regional commercial flights.

HAL planned to start offering maintenance services for this aircraft in India and later progress to local assembly.

Development Setback

However, flight testing of the airliner was suspended in 2021 due to a problem with the engine. An under-development Il-112V light airlifter, which also uses a TV7-117ST engine, crashed during flight testing due to an engine fire.

The suspension of flight testing enabled the engine manufacturer, UEC-Klimov, not only to correct the fault in the engine but also to significantly expand its operational parameters, including temperature range, altitude, and service life.

At the same time, the design of the Il-114-300 itself underwent some changes. The wings were tweaked to “raise” the engine and thereby increase the distance from the propeller blade tips to the ground surface. Now, according to the designers, the aircraft will be able to land not only on concrete runways but also on unpaved surfaces. In addition, the wing modification provides a larger flap angle and, accordingly, a lower landing speed.

Development Resumption

Flight testing has since resumed. As of September 4, 2024, the aircraft had made more than 30 flights, some of which lasted more than seven hours.

As of February 2025, the aircraft had completed more than 70 flights, including more than 20 certification flights, and had flown more than 200 hours. Serial aircraft planned for delivery to operators are already in production.

After Defense, Space & Nuclear Energy, Shipbuilding Joins India-Russia Strategic Pillars

Image by Grok via X

Update

During the course of the just concluded 23rd India - Russia Summit in New Delhi, the two nations signed a MoU on Training of Specialists for Ships Operating in Polar Waters: Between India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Russia's Ministry of Transport, to train Indian seafarers for Arctic navigation.

Also, they signed a MoU on Shipbuilding Cooperation Framework: Covering joint ship design, technology transfer, local manufacturing, and maritime infrastructure. 

The MoUs signal India's readiness to partner with Russia in developing and using the NSR (Northern Sea Route) through the Arctic and build Ice-class ships.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov told Sputnik in an interview, "Organizing joint production of Arctic-class vessels could become a promising area of cooperation."

Joint ice-class shipbuilding will not only add more depth to the strategic relationship between India and China, it will facilitate increased trade between the two countries.

Ice-class ships are vessels with reinforced hulls designed to safely navigate areas with floating or broken sea ice, such as those seen during Arctic summers.

They differ from icebreakers, which are specialized vessels—often equipped with very powerful propulsion systems, including nuclear power—that can break through solid ice, including winter ice cover. Icebreakers typically have rounded, sloping bows that ride up onto the ice and break it under the ship’s weight and forward motion.

Jointly constructing ice-class ships would be mutually advantageous for both countries. It would allow India to leverage its robust shipbuilding infrastructure, while Russia would leverage its extensive experience in building icebreakers and ice-class ships.

Russia and India have been negotiating to boost trade by developing the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC), also known as the Chennai–Vladivostok corridor, and the Northern Sea Route (NSR)—through investments in port infrastructure and shipbuilding, particularly the construction of ice-class tankers to transport oil, and training Indian crews to operate cargo ships safely in the Arctic Ocean, negotiating ice blocks and frozen waters.

Northern Sea Route (NSR)

The NSR stretches about 5,600 km (≈3,500 miles) through the Arctic Ocean from Murmansk near Russia's border with Norway eastwards to the Bering Strait near Alaska. The route is an alternative to the Suez Canal and is around 40% shorter. It passes through challenging Arctic waters that are navigable mainly during ice-free months or with the assistance of Russian nuclear and diesel icebreakers.

With climate change reducing sea ice, the NSR is becoming increasingly navigable and is emerging as a more economic alternative to the Suez Canal.

Reduced shipping costs through the NSR make Russian resource exports—crude, LNG, and coal—more competitive, particularly for large consumer countries like China and India.

Currently, annual cargo volumes through the NSR fluctuate between 35 and 40 million tons.

To facilitate volume growth and transform the NSR into a major international shipping corridor, Russia is seeking partners to invest in support infrastructure, nuclear icebreakers, and ice-class cargo ships. Currently, the number of ice-class ships is insufficient to achieve the target of 200 million tons.

Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC)

The Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC), also known as the Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, connects Chennai Port in India with Vladivostok in Russia's Far East. Spanning approximately 5,600 nautical miles (10,300 km), the corridor links India to the NSR. The EMC-NSR combination reduces cargo transit times from the traditional 40 days via the Suez Canal to about 24 days, bypassing congested chokepoints and avoiding West Asian regions prone to geopolitical instability.

The corridor was first proposed during PM Modi's 2019 visit to Vladivostok. Its relevance surged when India's trade with Russia grew over 200% year-on-year in early 2024. The importance of the route for energy security and supply chain diversification became evident.

Joint Working Group on the NSR

Following the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit on July 9, 2024, in Moscow, India and Russia established a Joint Working Group (JWG) on the Northern Sea Route under the India–Russia Intergovernmental Commission.

The JWG aims to enhance bilateral maritime ties with a focus on Arctic navigation and trade routes.

Conclusion

With India and Russia targeting $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, the imperative to exploit the potential of the EMC and NSR—through collaboration in building infrastructure and ice-class ships—is obvious. As such, it is likely that India and Russia will firm up a partnership during President Putin's forthcoming visit to India.

By deepening its strategic partnership with Russia, India can prevent Moscow from becoming overly dependent on China, thereby preserving a more balanced Russia-India-China (RIC) dynamic. 

India Braves Steep Price Escalation to Lease Second SSN from Russia

 

After nearly 10 years of negotiations, India and Russia have reportedly signed a $2-billion deal for the lease of another SSN from Russia for a 10-year period, NDTV reports, quoting sources.

(According to PIB, no new contract has been signed. The submarine is being leased under a contract signed in March 2019. There has been a delay in the delivery and the new delivery is scheduled for 2028.)

The lease terms stipulate that the submarine can only be used to train Indian Navy (IN) sailors to operate SSNs currently under development in India.

India had earlier leased the Akula-class submarine Nerpa for 10 years. The lease began on December 29, 2011, at the Bolshoi Kamen shipbuilding facility in the Primorye region (Far East), where the Nerpa was based. The boat was commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Chakra in April 2012.

The submarine met with an accident in October 2017, when its sonar dome was damaged while entering harbour in Visakhapatnam.

Russian specialists fabricated replacement panels at their facility in Russia and brought them to Visakhapatnam for installation on the leased boat.

In 2019, India considered extending the lease but opted not to do so, reportedly due to the condition of the submarine.

Around 2015, the IN had expressed interest in leasing a Yasen-class submarine as a follow-up to INS Chakra. However, in 2016, Moscow and New Delhi agreed on a follow-up lease of a second Akula-class boat.

Negotiations for the lease began in 2016 but proved protracted because of a near-doubling of the lease price. The Chakra deal had cost $970 million.

It remains to be seen what type of submarine will be leased under the new contract.