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As Rajnath Singh and his top delegation of defence personnel continue their Russia visit, there are talks of a mega defence agreement between Moscow and New Delhi being in advanced stages. The deal - reportedly worth $4 billion will give a massive boost to India's air defence infrastructure.
The equipment being discussed by both sides is the advanced 'Voronezh' series radar which is manufactured by Russia's Almaz-Antey Corporation, which is a specialist organisation for manufacturing anti-aircraft missile systems and radars.
The Voronezh radar is a very-long-range early warning radar system with a range well over 8,000 kilometers. It is capable of identifying and tracking threats like ballistic missiles, fighter jets, and ICBMs. Should India acquire it, the advanced radar system will be able to detect any air threat from anywhere in China, South and Central Asia, and most of the Indian Ocean region.
The Voronezh radar can detect more than 500 objects simultaneously. While its overall range can go up to 10,000 kilometers, it's vertical range exceeds 8,000 km and horizon range is over 6,000 km. Moscow claims that the Voronezh radar system can even track stealth aircraft. Due to its massive vertical range, it can provide complete data about ICBMs and situational awareness of near-Earth objects in space.
According to a report by Russia Today, talks between Moscow and New Delhi have been on for a while and last month, a team from Almaz-Antey even visited India to interact with possible offset partners who will be part of the project.
In another report by The Sunday Guardian, there is a push under the 'Make in India' initiative for at least 60 per cent of the radar system to be manufactured locally, for which offset partners are being sought in India.
Should the deal be finalised, the advanced radar system will likely be set up in Karnataka's Chitradurga district, and the designated location for it has also reportedly been surveyed. Chitradurga is already home to some of India's most advanced and top secret defence and aerospace facilities.
The radar system, once acquired, will significantly improve India's threat-detection and surveillance capabilities in Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It will also enhance India's air defence infrastructure to fulfil its needs amid ever-growing regional and global challenges.
On day 2 of his visit today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov will co-chair a top-level meeting on military-technical cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow. India and Russia share a special, privileged, and strategic defence partnership.
Mr Singh will also take stock of the deliveries of the two remaining S-400 Triumph missile systems that New Delhi is yet to receive. India had signed a deal in 2018 for Russia to supply its advanced S-400 missile systems.