On October 6, India placed a firm order worth about $5.5 billion for Russia's Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM). It comes as part of a larger weapons package that includes four Project 11356 frigates and the licensed production of Kamov Ka-226T rotorcraft. According to sources in the negotiating team, the S-400 deal comes without an offset clause so as to decrease costs and speed up shipments, which are due to start in 2020.
The deal was finalized during a two-day official visit of Vladimir Putin to New Delhi. Speaking to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Russian president said: “Our interaction in the sphere of military-technical cooperation is not restricted to weapon shipments. We have also mastered the joint development of advanced military equipment.” His hosts added that Indo-Russian cooperation began in the 1960s and now extends to such high-tech spheres as nuclear power and manned space programs.
