Russia has begun delivering simulators and other training equipment to India for an air defence "training squadron." On Friday, local media reported that amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, amid the continuing Russia-Ukraine war, India has received defence equipment for the training squadron of the Russian-made S-400 Triumf advanced surface-to-air missile defence system. In December, India announced that Russia had begun delivering the S-400 long-range defence systems to India. On Friday, the local news agency Asian News International (ANI) reported that the country received simulators and other equipment from Moscow. According to the article, despite the conflict in Ukraine, "defence supplies from Moscow continue,"
Russian shipments included "overhauled fighter aircraft engines and spares for an aircraft fleet." “It does not include missiles or launchers,” the agency quoted defence sources as saying, adding that India also received the final parts of the S-400 system from Russia, whose first squadron was “operational to take care of threats” from neighbouring countries. India, a long-time ally of Russia, has been growing closer to Washington in recent times. Since Russia launched a war on Ukraine in February, India has called for a peaceful solution but refrained from openly criticising Moscow.
India and Russia signed a $5.5 billion contract in 2018 for the S-400 system, putting India at risk of US sanctions.The United States has long attempted to prevent countries from purchasing Russian military weapons by threatening them with punitive measures under the Countering America"s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Despite Washington’s warnings,
New Delhi moved forward with the purchase, arguing that it has strategic connections with Russia and the US. Turkey, another country that has gone along with its S-400 purchase, has dismissed the US sanctions threat and said the missiles are a matter of national security. Turkey was removed from the JSF program as well.
According to media reports, US President Joe Biden’s Coordinator for Sanctions Policy, James O’Brien, told lawmakers in the House of Representatives last week that the US does not want India to buy the S-400 system from Russia. He also said Washington has to consider critical geostrategic circumstances in response to growing demand from Biden to exempt India from CAATSA.
