Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar Leaves For Moscow
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Secretary of Defence Ajay Kumar on Monday left for Moscow to ensure the progress of new projects. According to the sources, the visit of Ajay Kumar is to sort out the minor irritants in various ongoing projects.
About 60 to 70 per cent of the weapons the armed forces use is Russian. India still uses a lot of Russian weapons, including fighter aircraft like the Sukhoi-30, the MiG-29 and transport planes like the Il-76, Kilo-class conventional and Akula class nuclear submarines and the T-72 and T-90 tanks and BMP infantry combat vehicles, IGLA-S Surface to air missiles
Considering the border tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, they require huge amounts of spares and the possibility of easy access to them and also, their manufacture in India may be discussed.
Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh since mid-May. Both countries have since stepped up monitoring of their largely unsettled 3,488 km (2,167 miles) border.
It is to be noted Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit New Delhi later this year. The visit initially planned for mid-September has been delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
India and the United States are ready to sign the BECA or Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation, the final “strategic” agreement that will lead to closer ties between the armed forces of the two countries.
During the two-plus-two, US deputy secretary of state Stephen Beigun and US defence secretary Mark Esper will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as his National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.