India, Russia to discuss military ties today

India and Russia will on Wednesday hold detailed discussions on deeper military cooperations, especially on joint production of fifth generation fighter aircraft, upgradation of Su-30 MKI planes and firming up the contract for the S400 Triumf air defence system.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu will be arriving here on Tuesday night and will co-chair a meeting of the Indo-Russian Inter Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGCMTC) here on Wednesday with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar. The two will have restricted meeting followed by delegation-level talks, defence sources said. It was during a meeting of the commission in Moscow last year that both sides had firmed up plans to acquire the air defence system and other deals which were recently signed during the BRICS meet in Goa. Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation, a Russian umbrella organisation of 700 hi-tech civilian and military firms, had said that they expect the agreement on fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) to be finalise by this year end.