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Russian modern weapons technology for India

     New Delhi: Visiting Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has said that Russia was ready to provide India with the latest weapons technology. He said that Moscow was willing to co-operate with New Delhi on co-production of weapons systems and platforms like fifth generations fighters, advanced warships and submarines. Ivanov who arrived here on Saturday night on a three-day state visit also expressed his hope that India and Russia would conclude an agreement on military Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) by the year-end. He said that the pending pact on protection of military IPR between the two countries for safeguarding technological know-how was also likely to be reached by the year-end. Ivanov's visit assumes significance as Russia has recently offered a proposal for joint production and investment sharing in the development of a fifth generation fighter, a medium class passenger-cum-cargo aircraft and opening the Amur class submarine assembly line in India. Ivanov who is being accompanied by the Commander in Chief of the Russian Navy, besides holding talks with Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, will also witness the Indo-Russian Naval exercises at Vishakapatnam and the first ever Indo-Russian joint land exercises at the Mahajan firing range in Rajasthan. India and Russia has over four decades of defence ties and Russia is presently India's largest weapons supplier with export of Russian military equipment forming 40 per cent of Russian military sales worldwide. India and Russia have jointly developed the Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles. The Indian Air Force's (IAF's) fighter fleet is mostly of Russian origin with the bulk comprising of the MiG - 21s, and other variations like MiG 27s, MiG 29s. The Sukhoi multi combat aircraft (Su-30 and Su-30 MKI) developed by Russia is now being produced at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under licence. The T-72 tanks and the T-90 MBT that forms the core of the mechanised corps of the Indian Army are also of Russian origin. India has also signed a 1.5-billion dollar deal with Russia for Admiral Gorshkov that will be handed over to India by 2009 after a refit.