BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said that the Government should also check for ‘Chinese software and apps’ in the S-400 deal signed with Russia.
A day after the Centre announced its decision to ban 50 Chinese apps, senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy said that the Government should also check for ‘Chinese software and apps’ in the S-400 deal with Russia. The senior BJP leader’s remarks come in response to the USD 5 billion deal with Russia, where India has ordered five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems from the country. Subramanian Swamy said that the missile system needs to be checked for ‘Chinese software’ before risking our armed forces.
S-400 missile system deal
On June 22, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Russia to attend the grand Victory Day parade at Red Square to mark the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Germany in the Second World War. As per sources, the S-400 deal was one of the prime points of focus during his three-day visit to Moscow. The visit had also grabbed eyeballs since it occurred shortly after the June 16 border clash between India and China in the Galwan valley.
In October 2018, India signed a massive deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, for which it completed its first tranche of payment of around $800 million last year.
The S-400 is known as Russia’s long-range surface-to-air missile defense system with a capacity to track up to multiple targets 400 km away.
Earlier this year, Deputy Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), Vladimir Drozhzhov, assured that the delivery of the missile systems would not be delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic and would be completed by the end of 2021.
Apart from the pending S-400 deal, it is also reported that India purchased 12 Sukhoi SU-30MKIs, and 21 MiG-29s and other fighter jets from Russia as well.
CAATSA Sanctions
Turkish entities are only exposed to sanctions because they choose to do business with primary targets of U.S. sanctions. The Turkish government’s actions represent a sovereign decision to acquire defense capabilities from a Russian source that is widely known to be sanctioned by the United States. The impending secondary sanctions triggered by the S-400 delivery in Turkey are intended to deter additional transactions with entities on the LSP, like Russia’s main defense export entity Rosboronexport (which is on the Sec. 231 LSP).
India will not receive a blanket sanction waiver should it proceed with purchasing the Russian-made Almaz-Antei S-400 Triumf air defense systems (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) for service in the Indian Air Force (IAF), a senior U.S. State Department official reiterated in a briefing with reporters on January 8.
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy warned Indian Government not to buy S-400 which may expose India to CAATSA sanctions.
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