A report in RT has alleged that India has compromised an aircraft carrier and a submarine it leased from Russia.
The report quoting Russia’s Kommersant daily says India first allowed a US Navy delegation to visit the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, originally a Kiev class Russian aircraft carrier known as Admiral Gorshkov. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the mighty war machine to the nation in June 2014. The US Navy delegation visit was opposed by the Russian officials who also issued a note of protest.
The report further says after the INS Vikramaditya Incident, another US delegation visited INS Chakra, a submarine originally known as Nerpa that India leased from Russia in 2012 for 10 years. INS Chakra is an Akula class nuclear powered attack submarine.
The report that is based on a high ranking military source said “there were well-trained technical specialists among the US delegation, so they got hold of some of the information anyway” and warns that “this string of incidents may have a negative impact on defence cooperation between the two countries, which has been successfully developing over the past five years.”
Calling it an “unprecedented scandal” unfolding between India and Russia, the report writes that Russia is preparing for retaliatory measures with “a lot of questions” and difficult talks ahead” and such “unfriendly acts towards Russia” will be high on the agenda during the visit of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin next month.
Though India has recently ramped up its defence ties with the United State, Europe and Israel, Russia, India’s major defence supplier for over four decades, still remains India’s largest supplier accounting for around 68 per cent of India’s arms import between 2012 and 2016, a report from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says. Russia
India’s is the world’s largest importer account for 14 per cent of global arms trade and Russia has been the major winner of the Indian defence contracts in the last three years. Both the US and Russia are vying to gain primacy in defence ties with India and the US, in fact, became India’s largest arms supplier in 2013-14 with defence deals worth $1.9 Billion.
©SantoshChaubey
