CNBC:
India signed a $5 billion purchase of advanced missile technology from Russia on Friday, a deal seen as New Delhi’s response to China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi Thursday to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an annual bilateral summit that’s has focused on energy, security and defense issues.
Of particular interest is India’s purchase of the Russian-built S-400 Triumf, a long-range surface-to-air missile system capable of destroying both cruise and ballistic missiles. The order, which has been under discussion since 2015, was finalized on Friday afternoon according to several news agencies who cited both Indian and Russian officials.
The deal is a signal that the Modi administration is “trying to take steps to counter China,” said Richard Rossow, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who specializes on U.S.-India relations. He believes that India wants high-end defense equipment for power projection in the Indian Ocean, where Beijing has been growing increasingly assertive.
