‘Mosquito’ Barb at Jet

The Rafale fighter aircraft the Indian Air Force is buying from France “will be swatted like mosquitoes in an August night” by Chinese combat planes in a war, Russian ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin claims.

Russia’s MiG-35 aircraft was an early loser in the competition to sell 126 medium multirole combat aircraft to India, a deal that could be one of the largest military contracts in the world topping $20 billion.

But Russia is the largest supplier of military hardware to India and the bulk of the IAF’s frontline fighter aircraft are of Russian origin. One of the aircraft, a Sukhoi 30Mki, crashed near Pune on Tuesday.

Kadakin, who was angry that a section of the Indian media was “pro-West” — “and they do not report facts” — said the Sukhoi 27 fighter aircraft that Russia was supplying to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (Air Force) were better in combat than the Rafale.

Even though Russia is India’s biggest military supplier, the US, Israel and, possibly, France are increasing their market share with the Indian armed forces. This has caused heartburn in Moscow.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin — who is likely to visit India in December — and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kadakin said, enjoy a “personal rapport”.

The summit meeting will coincide with the renewal of an agreement on military-technical cooperation. India and Russia have a defence agreement that is unique.

“I don’t understand why you are buying (French Rafale fighters)” and “we are surprised that (they are) being bought,” said Kadakin.

India is also importing more Sukhoi 30Mki and building the aircraft through a transfer-of-technology agreement with Russia. Kadakin said the influence of the West on Indian defence acquisitions was puzzling because “the USA has transferred zero technology to India” whereas Russia has shared critical technology that no other country was willing to give to India.

Russia offered the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, now the INS Vikramaditya, to India when no other country was willing to deliver a carrier. India bought the carrier for the cost of its refit that totalled about $2.4 billion.

Russia and India jointly develop the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile. Kadakin also listed the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant among the critical supplies from Russia to India.

“The USA has not even driven a nail in the nuclear power plant that it is supposed to build in India, whereas Russia has already started building the second unit in Kudankulam,” he said.