NEW DELHI. Nov 28 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian-Indian military cooperation is today not only about ready military hardware, but also a number of new lines, Viktor Komardin, deputy director general of the Rosoboronexport state-owned arms trader, told Interfax-Military News Agency Thursday.
Among these new lines, Komardin named upgrading earlier sold weapons, licensed production of Russian military hardware in India (SU-30MKI fighters, T-90 tanks), joint projects (development of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile, MTA multipurpose cargo aircraft, etc.), launching technical centers in India for better MRO of Russian-made military hardware.
Rosoboronexport also assists in advancing civilian produce of defense enterprises to India, which would help in restructuring the defense industry and diversifying defense industry enterprises, Komardin said.
To a question from Interfax-AVN, Komardin replied that strategic partnership with India means not only deliveries of weapons, but also trade, technological, scientific, and cultural cooperation.
As for the program of Russian-Indian military development for up to 2010, Komardin said that all the projects are handled properly. Some of them have already been implemented. Currently about 200 Russian specialists, among them enterprise directors and Rosoboronexport experts, work in India on these projects, he said.
The implementation of these projects will be analyzed at the next session of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission due late January.
According to Komardin, the overall value of contracts signed by Rosoboronexport amounts about USD12.5bn.
"This indicates that Russian military hardware is indeed in demand on the global market," Komardin said.