According to an Indian daily quoted by the site defenseworld.net, Russia reportedly assured India that it would limit its sales collaboration with Pakistan to the anti-terrorist field, and that it would not export military equipment to Islamabad. By proceeding in this way, the Russian authorities hope to strengthen the dynamic of rapprochement begun a few months ago with New Delhi, and having already given convincing results, with the order of additional Mig29s and Su30 MKIs, S400s and frigates.
It must be said that we are witnessing a surge in promises of exclusivity to gain market share in lucrative Indian defense equipment contracts, the world's leading arms importer. Thus, Lockheed-Martin announced that if India were to actually order 114 F21[efn_note]advanced version of the F16 Block70 designed for India[/enf_note], the aircraft would not be offered for export to other countries. other countries. Note, however, that this offer would in no way commit the American aircraft manufacturer to the F16V.
At the same time, it was Boeing which offered to move the F/A 18 E/F Super Hornet assembly line to India if it were to order a “sufficient” number. In addition, after Turkey, Washington is now putting pressure on the Indian authorities to acquire the Patriot PAC-3 system in place of the 5 S-400 regiments ordered a few months ago, handling both promises of technological transfers and threats concerning the CAATSA law.
The Russian promise, if it is proven, is very binding, since it is not limited to the equipment actually acquired by India, but to all the Defense equipment, which Moscow would refrain from offering to Islamabad. This would harm the order of 340 T90M negotiated this winter between the two capitals, a contract exceeding $1 billion. But the Russian authorities are perfectly aware that Pakistan's export potential remains low, with the country being increasingly close to Beijing.
It should be noted, however, that while Pakistan remains India's hereditary enemy, tensions with China also continue to grow. However, Beijing is a major customer of the Russian defense industry, far superior to Pakistan's potential. Thus, in recent years, the Chinese armies have received 24 Su35 multipurpose fighters, and have ordered 4 S400 systems. Above all, Moscow cannot afford to isolate itself from Beijing, both from a commercial point of view and on the international scene, China representing a safety net for the Russian authorities in the face of American sanctions. We should therefore not expect Russian engagement to go beyond the scope of Pakistan, which is also probably satisfactory for the Indian authorities.