On March 24, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar affirmed that Russia is a country with which India has always had a positive relationship and both countries are very interested in each other's interests.
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| Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. (Source: ANI) |
Speaking at a meeting with the Indian community in Singapore while on a visit to the Southeast Asian country, Mr. Jaishankar said that India should look at its relations with Russia or any other country from its own perspective.
NDTV quoted Foreign Minister Jaishankar as saying that by asking himself questions like “Has Russia helped or harmed us? At crucial moments, has Russia contributed to or hindered India?...”, he found the answer with his experience and perspective that New Delhi has always had a positive relationship with Moscow.
“Both countries are very concerned about each other’s interests. So, in my opinion, we should have that confidence when promoting this relationship,” he stressed.
On the same day, according to the Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW) website, the Indian government has set an ambitious task for the domestic defence industry, which is to develop a 5th generation fighter aircraft within the framework of the “Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft” (AMCA) programme.
Specifically, IDRW said that the first 40 aircraft of the AMCA MkI version will be equipped with the GE-F414 engine manufactured by General Electric (USA), developed specifically for the F/A-18E fighter. This is considered one of the most advanced engine lines manufactured by Western countries.
In the next phase of the AMCA MkII project, the Indian government plans to develop a new engine with foreign partners.
The Gas Turbine Research and Development Centre (GTRE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is looking for suitable candidates from leading global manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce, Safran and GE.
The decision on the selection of a partner is expected to be made in mid-2024 and the contract will be signed in the coming time. The goal of the new engine is to achieve a thrust of between 110-130 kN.
This engine will not only be used on 5th generation fighters, but also on the new TEDBF carrier-based fighter and the upgraded Tejas MkII MLU light combat aircraft.
However, the IDRW notes, an important aspect is the absence of Russia among potential partners in the development of new engines for AMCA, despite the rich experience of Russian specialists in the field of engine construction.
According to the military website, the lack of Russian partners may be due to India's desire not to worsen relations with the US, due to the trend of increasing military-technical cooperation between New Delhi and Washington.
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