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Def Expo 2010 is going full throttle in New Delhi with global manufacturers showcasing their wares to get a chunk of the $11 billion that India spends every year on foreign military supplies and the $50 billion India will be spending on the modernisation of the armed forces.
During DEF EXPO 2010, Russia, India’s traditional defence supplier, has been trying to compete with Israel and the US, who have recently been grabbing defence deals from India. While global arms manufacturers are selling their weaponry to India, the Indian military largely consists of Russian weapons and the equipment and armaments. Russia has been India’s biggest defence supplier mainly because of the weaponry’s advantages.
India needs equipment to be utilised in temperatures ranging from minus 50, up in the Himalayas, to plus 50 in the deserts of Rajasthan. Secondly, it is competitive in price and works out cheap. And thirdly, over the last 30-40 years, the military has got used to using Russian equipment, so operators and users are familiar with it. Russia has also had arms contracts with India worth around $1.5 billion each year.
The Indo-Russian collaboration in various high-profile ventures highlights the special relationship that India and Russia share. The relationship is now moving into joint development of weapons, such as the Brahmos cruise missile, costing $300 million. Victor Komardin, Deputy Director General of Russia’s Rosoboronexport arms corporation, commented that India is a priority for the Russian defence industry, not only because of the export volume, but also because of the quality of the equipment and scientific technical potential that Russia puts in India’s industrial military complex. The Brahmos missile, which is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world, is a primary example where India and Russia are equal partners in the project and contributing their own areas of expertise.
India has a very strong in guidance technology and software, whereas Russia is very strong in propulsion and cruise missile technology. The Brahmos Joint Venture Company between India and Russia has become a role model by integrating public-private industry from India and Russia as a consortium. It has penetrated the international market with the most potent weapon system for precision strike and a force multiplier in network centric warfare.
Meanwhile, Israel is currently vying to be the top defence suppliers to India. The major names of Israel’s defence industry are present, including Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which is helping co-develop the medium-range surface-to-air missile, Elbit systems and Israel Military Industries (IMI). Israel has taken the largest space in the exhibition as an indication of the strength of the ongoing defence and strategic relationship, currently worth at least $1 billion (Rs 4,620 crore).
Israel has managed to do well in the Indian defence sector because Israel is not in the big defence platforms market unlike Russia and prefers to do high-tech avionics. Israel is supplying India with Barak, as well as 18 low-level quick-reaction SpyDer missile systems for Rs 1,800 crore, four more EL/M-2083 Aerostat radars for Rs 145 crore, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Phalcon radars for the Airborne Warning and Control Systems.
Several systems are also being jointly developed between India and Israel, including the Rs 10,000-crore medium range surface-to-air (MRSAM) missile, capable of detecting and destroying hostile aircraft and drones at a distance of 120 kilometres, as well as a Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and IAI project to develop a supersonic 70 kilometre Barak-2 missile at a cost of Rs 2,600 crore for the Indian Navy. In addition, India also launched an Israeli-made 300-kilogram radar imaging spy satellite in April 2009, to keep a round-the-clock vigil on its volatile borders, including the tracking of militants.
The biggest exhibitor of DEF EXPO 2010 is India’s DRDO which has rented 1,400 square metres and a close second is Israel, with 1,200 square metres of display space for its defence companies. The DEF EXPO this year has grown both in space and participation. The number of participants this year will be 650 as against 447 in 2008. The number of countries has risen to 33 from 29. There will be at least 41 official delegations, including Ministers from Nigeria, Senegal, Turkey, Brunei, Israel, Italy, Sri Lanka and Namibia.
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