Yet this relationship is a new one. India has traditionally looked closer to home to satisfy its military needs – to the mighty Soviet Union. Though a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War, India has long relied on Russian arms imports. Today, Russian weaponry accounts for roughly 60-70 percent of India’s arms imports.
And business only blossomed further after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Defense deals between Russia and India are set to exceed $16 billion. The latest orders include the S-400 air-defense system, joint production of Kalashnikov rifles and Kamov helicopters for the navy.
During the recent DefExpo 2020 exhibition in Lucknow, New Delhi signed 14 memorandums of understanding with Russian firms for the development and production of land, air and naval systems.
Despite some challenges, India has been able to successfully integrate systems from across the world, including both the US and Russia — two major military competitors and geopolitical adversaries. This ability to balance relations between rival superpowers has led to India being dubbed a ‘swing power’ by some experts.
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