India, Russia to discuss N-sub lease and Gorshkov refit

New Delhi: The impending 10-year lease of K-152 Nerpa nuclear submarine, the over $25 billion project to acquire 250 fifth-generation fighter aircraft and the ongoing $2.33 billion refit of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov will figure prominently in the defence meet between India and Russia this week.

Defence minister A K Antony and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov will lead their respective delegations during the 10th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) on Thursday. “The two defence ministers are also expected to discuss regional and global security issues,” an official said.

Cash-strapped Russia is still by far India’s largest defence supplier but acrimonious negotiations over the huge cost escalation in Gorshkov’s refit have led to some bitterness over the last few years, which has also been fuelled by Russia’s propensity to delay deliveries, raise costs midway and not provide proper product support.