Both countries discussed the draft on the military Logistic Sharing agreement and set up a working group on military cooperation was created within the IGC-MTC format. (IE)

India and Russia on Thursday reviewed the progress made on various projects between the two countries at the 18th session of the Russian-Indian inter-governmental commission on military-technical cooperation (IGC-MTC) in New Delhi. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu accompanied by Dmitriy Shugaev, Director, Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) of the Russian Federation, led their respective delegations and discussed ways of further developing military-technical cooperation between the two sides.

Both countries discussed the draft on the military Logistic Sharing agreement and set up a working group on military cooperation was created within the IGC-MTC format.

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Earlier this month, Naval Chief Sunil Lanba responding to a question, had said that, “The draft agreement is being worked up with the Russians and it will be shared with them soon.” India already has such Logistic Sharing agreements with countries including the US, Singapore, France and Oman.

At the IGC-MTC meet critical issues including joint training, high level exchanges and joint exercises. Both countries have been conducting the bilateral Maritime Exercise ‘INDRA NAVY’, since 2003 and INDRA Tri-Services Exercise since 2017; Exercise INDRA-Navy is already underway off Visakhapatnam.

The two sides also reviewed the progress on the government-to-government agreement under which the Kalashnikov AK-series rifles to be produced at India’s state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) at Trichy and the Rifle Factory at Icapore.

Ways of further deepening military cooperation based on the agreements between the two sides as well as the joint statement that was released at the end of the annual summit in October this year was discussed.

As has been reported earlier, the IGC-MTC was set up in October 2010. The commission meets once a year, alternating between the capital cities of the two countries. Since Oct the two countries have inked major multi-billion dollar defence deals including the $5.43 billion S-400 Triumf contract, the two countries also recently signed a $1.5 billion deal for two Project 1135.6 frigates to be equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles which is a joint venture between India and Russia.

As has been reported earlier, Russia’s Igla-S has been down selected the $1.5 billion contract for the supply of Very-Short-Range Air Defense (VSHOROD) System to the Indian Army.