The Hindu : India, Russia to set up centres to produce defence spares

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 08, 2003

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India, Russia to set up centres to produce defence spares

By Our Special Correspondent

The Advanced Light Helicopter landing on CGS Sarang during the demonstration by the Coast Guard off the Chennai Coast on Friday. — Photo: Vino John.

ON BOARD THE CGS VAJRA Feb. 7. The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, said today that India and Russia had agreed to set up "two production centres" in India to "take care of product support and joint production of spares" for the Indian forces. A special marine repair facility would also be set up at Visakhapatnam.

These were the main outcomes of the third session of the Indo-Russian Inter-Government Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation, which met in Moscow in mid-January. Mr. Fernandes and the Russian Minister, Ilya Klebanov, chaired the annual review of bilateral defence agenda for Industry, Science and Technology.

Dismissing speculation that multi-million dollar protocols were discussed at the meet, he said this was mainly a media build-up to the event. The real problem on the ground — for India as well as countries in Asia and Africa that depended on Russia for defence equipment — was that Russia had either discontinued or totally stopped production of spares for the military hardware that these countries had employed.

"Russia has moved on to newer generation technologies and hence many counties, including India, have a problem with spares. This was taken up at the meeting," he said.

Setting up of the centres was still in the initial stages and hence, no decision had yet been taken on the location. But once the production centres come up, the export potential would also be explored.

Commenting on the thinking in a section of the Government that India should give up its no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons, Mr. Fernandes said the nuclear doctrine of the country did not get "revised overnight". Unless there was an extraordinary situation, "there could be no change as far as the nuclear doctrine was concerned. It remains as it was."

On the renewed threat of terrorism, he said that India had set up institutions and structures to cope with the challenge. "I do not think any nation is better equipped than India is (in handling terrorism)." Personnel from some foreign Special Forces were undergoing training in facilities in India.

On the approval of the Coast Guard's perspective plan for the next 15 years, now pending with the Defence Ministry, Mr. Fernandes avoided a direct reply and said that the importance of the need to secure the sea frontiers and the Exclusive Economic Zone was felt only after the Group of Ministers recommendations following the Kargil conflict.

Ever since the Government had been looking at the "hardware and personnel" needs of the Coast Guard.

Mr. Fernandes conducted a Coast Guard fleet review on board the Fast Patrol Vessel as part of its 26th anniversary celebrations. As many as 16 ships, two hovercraft, eight dorniers, four chetak helicopters and the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) were part of the demonstrations aimed at showcasing the force's capabilities.

This was the first time that the ALH was on public display at sea. The first indigenous twin-engine helicopter made a perfect landing on CGS Sarang's moving deck and repeated the feat a few times, before pulling away for other demonstrations.

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