Following the Ukraine war, India said Tuesday it has no difficulties with Russia in servicing military equipment and parts, asserting that it makes a choice which it believes is in its national interest.
I don’t believe we have encountered any particular problems in recent months in terms of servicing and spare part supply for the military equipment (from Russia) that we have previously acquired from Russia,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told reporters at a joint news conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The source of our military equipment isn’t a new issue or one that has changed a great deal due to geopolitical tensions,” he said.
The Indian government looks at opportunities throughout the world, he said. Taking into account the quality of technology, capabilities, and terms on which that particular equipment is available, we make a choice which fits our national interests,” Jaishankar said.
He said that India has actually procured a lot from the United States in the last 15 years. Considering aircraft – the C-17, the C-130, the P-8, or the Apache helicopter, the Chinook, or the Howitzers, the M777 Howitzers – we recently purchased Rafale aircraft from France. We did so from Israel,” he noted.