India welcomes 24 Russian anti-aircraft missiles for defence

In light of economic sanctions initiated against Russia in 2014, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and a significant decrease in arms exports, Moscow has delivered 24 Igla-S portable anti-aircraft missile systems along with 100 missiles to New Delhi.

This delivery, occurring over the past weekend and officially announced on April 9, was officially confirmed by India, Bulgarian Military reports.

The initial delivery includes 24 Igla-S launchers, part of a broader agreement for 100 launchers in total, finalized in late 2023. Out of the 400 ordered and paid-for missiles, the first 100 have now been procured. This leaves Russia responsible for delivering an additional 76 Igla-S portable anti-aircraft missile systems and 300 missiles.

The procurement of these 24 Igla-S launchers holds symbolic significance. The completion of the remaining launchers has essentially been achieved through a licensing agreement that allows India to assemble the Igla-S system. This approach aligns the procurement process with the Indian government’s ‘Made in India’ initiative. The Russian-Indian Igla-S systems are designated for deployment with Indian air defence units located in the country’s northern highlands.

“The necessary documentation has been agreed upon and currently, we are partnering with an Indian private firm to initiate manufacturing of MANPADS ‘Igla-S’ in India,” Mikheev informed.

Notably, India is the world’s leading arms importer with Russia maintaining its position as its main source, even amidst the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute [SIPRI] records reveal that from 2018 through 2022, India secured 45 per cent of its total arms imports from Russia. France came second with 29 per cent, and the United States contributed a modest 11 per cent.

Mikheev also disclosed to the Russian state news agency, RIA, that “Rosoboronexport is forging collaborations with both private and government-owned Indian enterprises to establish the co-production of aviation armaments and their integration into the existing Indian aviation fleet.” Furthermore, at the start of this year, India and Russia kicked off a collaborative production of AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles.