India’s Best Interest Is To Continue With Key Russian Equipment Notwithstanding American tantrums
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was responding to a question from Congressman Joe Wilson, a friend of India in the Congress who, of late, has been critical of India deciding to take an independent position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine
General Lloyad Austin seems to be acting quite naïve when saying that It iwas not in India’s best interest to continue investing in Russian military equipment. He is now US Defence Minister and should know that it is not in the interest of USA to render such ministerial advice to or utter comments on India’s taking an I dependent position on matters international.
India has been doing this since independence. American lawmakers can keep having bellyaches over this but it will cut no ice with India. We make our own considered decisions after viewing everything through a prism on our own Kutub Minar. We Indians have presently no desire to scale down Our purchase of Russian military equipment as deemed fit.
“We continue to work with them (India) to ensure that they understand that it’s not in there — we believe that — it’s not in their best interest to continue to invest in Russian equipment,” Austin told the members of the House Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing on the annual defence budget.
Austin ji, you must stop uttering such nonsense forthwith. What you believe, please continue to believe but it will not change our beliefs. And it is in your best interest that American politicians do not try and threaten India. It will back fire on you very badly.
“And our requirement going forward is that they downscale the types of equipment that they’re investing in and look to invest more in the types of things that will make us continue to be compatible,” Austin said.
Just remember that we will buy from you too, provided we need it and you are ready to supply at fair price and without strings attached. USA record on all these matters have been at best satisfactory if not outright Poor.
It is fully in our interest to buy S400 systems presently the best missile defence system in the world. Though soon we will have our own. We will be buying a few nuclear powered SSGNs too and few other naval ships and submarines from Russia for a while.
Till we have our AMCA in squadron service, we may also go in for a few squadrons of SU 57 MKIs, you never know. We will also be buying a few pressurized heavy water nuclear power reactors and oil as much as we want. We will do what we decide and not what you decide….period.
The defence secretary was responding to a question from Congressman Joe Wilson, a friend of India in the Congress who, of late, has been critical of India deciding to take an independent position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Gruesomely, our treasured ally India, the world’s largest democracy, is choosing to align itself with the Kremlin by choosing Russian weapons systems over American and allied options,” Wilson said.
“What weapons platforms could we offer through the foreign military sales program that would incentivise rush — Indian leaders to reject Putin and align with its natural allies of democracy?” he asked.
The United States has the finest weapons systems in the world and the most advanced weapons systems in the world, Austin said. “So, we have a range of capabilities that we can provide or offer (to India),” said the defence secretary.
We Indians have seen all the fine equipment you have been supplying to Pakistan since 1950s. We Indians have trashed all those finest of your equipment like F86 sabre, F104 Star fighters, Patton tanks, Ghazi submarine, F16 fighters and what not with our own equipment and what we bought from Russia. So for God sake stop telling us about the “ top quality “ of your equipment.
Yes you all must look forward to your working with the great people of India and eliminate the restrictions on sales and lower the price too. We can always work together based on friendship and equality. However we are neither like your NATO allies nor a poodle like the Brits.
