- India cancelled a deal to buy Predator drones from the United States
- India is focussing on increasing its indigenous capacity in defence manufacturing
- The scrapping is a clear indication to the US that it cannot dictate terms and conditions to India
International Diplomacy is one of the most intriguing aspects of democratic world order. Simply because it runs on covert communication rather than overt. An example of this facet was recently witnessed in India’s bold stand amidst the Ukraine-Russia war.
Multi-billion drone deal cancelled
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Modi government has cancelled a multi-billion-dollar drone deal with the Joe Biden administration. India was set to purchase 30 armed Predator drones from Unites states. According to the deal approved by Defence Acquisition Council in 2021, Army, Navy and Air Force were slated to get 10 Predator drones each.
The MQ-9B drones(approved for the deal) are equipped with air-to-surface missiles. These drones can remain in flight for 35 hours and are effective in doing an aerial survey of border areas through their high-resolution cameras. Additionally, they can also attack the enemy whilst surveilling enemy positions.
The deal was slated to cost $3 billion (22,000 crores) to the Indian exchequer. Reportedly, two reasons have been cited for the cancellation of the deal. One is the ‘prohibitively high cost’ of drones, while another is India’s emphasis on ‘Make in India’ in defence.
Read more: India’s arms industry is finally sprawling at a mad pace, thanks to ‘Make in India’
Scrapping of the deal is a major blow to the USA
India’s insistence on not using American drones comes at a crucial juncture in the history of geopolitics. Currently, Ukraine and Russia are involved in a bloodied territorial battle. According to official numbers, nearly 150 Ukrainians have lost their lives. The world is divided into two factions over the battle for European land.
Read more: Tsar Vladimir Putin I – Modern Russian Empire’s first emperor
While Russia is almost on its own in this battle, Ukraine has got moral support from many countries including the USA. Since the USA is the big brother of geopolitics, it leverages its influence to garner support for whatever it likes. For example, in unnecessary wars it is engaged in, the USA has been insisting India send its soldiers to support its army.
American bullying won’t work
Mostly, it tries to arm-twist countries dependent on it for their necessary requirements, such as security. It threatens these countries by calling for sanctions on them. It had tried to impose similar sanctions on India when New Delhi was looking to buy S-400 from Russia. It tried to browbeat India through its much infamous CAATSA sanctions. Under CAATSA, a defence deal becomes sanctionable as soon as the purchased equipment is delivered.
However, India decided to go ahead with Russia and received the initial delivery of the S-400 in November last year. Read how India preferred Putin over the hollow threat of Joe Biden’s sanctions.
Read more: In direct defiance of Joe Biden, India starts receiving S-400s from Russia
India won’t take sides
Since Russia is an all-weather friend of India, New Delhi need not take the unnecessary risk of choosing sides in the Ukraine crisis. Moreover, Russia has always refrained from siding with Pakistan despite being geographically closer to it. Simply put, just like Russia does not support Pakistan, India need not support Ukraine, which is 4,000 km away from us.
Read more: India’s support for Russia at UNSC came a day after Putin trashed Pakistan
However, only US had the capability to force India to side with Ukraine in the crisis. All it had to do was convey to India that General Atomics (the firm supplying drone) would not go ahead, and India could be forced to rethink its position on the war. If not for India’s renewed indigenous defence manufacturing industry, it would have been tough for India to not heed to the demands of Uncle Sam (USA).
Read more: Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India schemes are all set to make India a global defence powerhouse
It is pertinent to note India scrapped the deal despite the Indian Navy already using two such predator drones on lease. This is a clear indication of India’s increasing prowess in the international arena. The USA should realise that New Delhi will play games on its own terms.
Let us hope we will not repeat the fiasco of Nehru’s non-alignment BS. Nowadays, if we need Russia on our side, we need equally, if not more, European countries and America on our side.
Germany, and other countries are also just waiting on the sidelines and watching. No one is sending their people in. Why should India send their soldiers in a war that’s not about us?
India has top level brains, if we stop migrating away, India can be extremely successful. And with Modi, there’s more option for the Indian brain to stay.