俄罗斯把印度戏耍了一次：在印度舰队赴俄途中通知取消军 ...

Russia has cancelled both its 'Indra' series of military exercises with India. Last month, a flotilla of five warships from the Indian navy's eastern fleet that went for joint naval exercises to Vladivostok in the Russian far-east, was turned back without any manoeuvres. The warships-which included the missile destroyers INS Delhi, INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay-were warmly received by the Russian navy, but when asked about the exercises, they were told the Russians had no ships to spare. On a request from the Indian fleet, a face-saving 'table top exercise or a land-based simulation, was carried out.

What rubbed salt in their wounds was that Russian warships sailed out for an exercise of their own, apparently belying their earlier claims. The cancelled exercise was hushed up even as the warships returned to Visakhapatnam. A befuddled Ministry of Defence (mod) was groping for answers when they were snubbed again. Last week, Russia informed the mod that it had cancelled the upcoming joint army exercises scheduled to be held in Russia in June. One of the reasons given was that the mod had not informed Moscow of the army exercises in advance. Petr Topychkhanov of the Carnegie Moscow Centre says the cancellation of the exercises does not reflect any change in relations with India. "One of the reasons could be the hard process of military reform in Russia. The Russian armed forces are unready for an international exercise at this stage," he says.

Since 2003, India and Russia have conducted five of the Indra series military exercises between the armies and navies of both sides. The last such exercise was held between Russian and Indian army units in Uttarakhand in October last year. In sharp contrast, India has conducted over 60 military exercises with the US. Indian defence officials admit that exercises with Russia are largely symbolic but are an important barometer of healthy ties between the two sides. The strategic partnership with Russia still holds.


Indian and Russian soldiersDefence Minister A.K. Antony says that Delhi's proximity to Washington will not be at the cost of ties with Moscow. On the ground, however, ties have been on a roller-coaster ride. Russia is unhappy at losing a lucrative $10 billion contract for 126 multi-role medium combat aircraft. The iaf narrowed its choice to France's Rafale and Europe's Typhoon, ejecting US and Russian contenders. Topychkhanov does not rule out cancellation of the military exercises as a retort by the miffed Russians.

Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik visited Moscow recently to inspect progress on the joint Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (fgfa). The visit was also meant to mollify Russia and indicate India's commitment to the futuristic fighter which is expected to replace the most current fighter aircraft in the iaf's inventory when it is ready for squadron service in 2017.

Relations between India and Russia soured in recent years over the extended deadline for the refit of the aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov. The refit slipped by four years and the its cost doubled to $2.3 billion. The carrier will now be delivered late next year. Deadlines for the acquisition of an Akula-II class nuclear-powered submarine have slipped by over three years. India paid $670 million for completing the submarine under a 2003 contract. This month, a 100-man Indian crew that had gone to Vladivostok to bring the vessel back returned empty-handed. There is no word on when the strategic submarine, which the navy desperately needs, will be transferred to India. Russia is reportedly keen that India pay for the completion of a second unfinished Akula hull at the Komsomolsk shipyard. This has been turned down by the navy.

The real issue is the poor sourcing of components for Russian-made equipment operated by the Indian armed forces. Over half the inventory of the three armed forces comprise equipment of Russian origin. "It takes nearly a year for us to get even export permissions from Russia. This severely impacts force preparedness," says a defence official.

Some of India's consternation over these delays may have spilled over at a meeting between navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma and the visiting Russian navy chief, Admiral Sergeevich Vysotskiy, this January. Various department heads of the Indian navy read out the riot act on the poor serviceability of warships, aircraft and submarines to the Russian naval delegation. After the meeting, Vysotskiy privately conveyed his dismay at the ambush. The warning signs appeared at a recent joint meeting in Moscow when Russian defence officials refused to discuss military exercises. Evidently, it was a portent of the chill to come.

印度上月派遣5艘战舰前往俄罗斯远东地区的符拉迪沃斯托克，参加双方事先约定好的海上联合军事演习。但俄罗斯却临时取消了与印度的军演，印度海军无功而返。而俄方随后给出的理由之一是印度没有提前知会俄罗斯，俄罗斯战舰还忙于参加其它更为重要的演习。

　　据报道，前往俄罗斯参加联合军演的印度船舰包括“德里”号(INS Delhi)驱逐舰、“兰沃”号（(INS Ranvir）导弹护卫舰、“兰维杰伊”号（Ranvijay）导弹驱逐舰当时受到了俄罗斯方面的热烈欢迎。当谈到两军军演问题上，俄罗斯方面称俄罗斯目前没有额外的船舰参加与印度的联合军演。为了挽回面子，印度军方要求举行其它军演取而代之。

　　报道评论说，更令人难以忍受的是，俄罗斯的战舰被派去参加了他们自己的军演。印度方面希望从俄罗斯得到合理的解释。上周，俄罗斯通知印度国防部称，他们取消那次联合军演的原意之一是印度没有提前通知俄罗斯，所以俄罗斯没有调配好战舰。

　　对此，莫斯科卡耐基中心的专家则表示，取消军演并不表示两国关系出现变化，俄罗斯艰难的军事改革进程也是影响军演的原因之一， 目前俄罗斯军队还没有做好参加国际军演的准备。不过，有印度国防部官员则承认，与俄罗斯的军演更多的是象征意义，只表明两国关系健康稳定。

　　据报道，自2003年起，印度与俄罗斯已举行5场印俄军演，上次举行联合军演的时间为2010年10月。不过，印度已与美国举行的军演已超过60次。印度国防部长安东尼曾表示，印度与美国的亲近不会影响印俄关系。

Russia has cancelled both its 'Indra' series of military exercises with India. Last month, a flotilla of five warships from the Indian navy's eastern fleet that went for joint naval exercises to Vladivostok in the Russian far-east, was turned back without any manoeuvres. The warships-which included the missile destroyers INS Delhi, INS Ranvir and INS Ranvijay-were warmly received by the Russian navy, but when asked about the exercises, they were told the Russians had no ships to spare. On a request from the Indian fleet, a face-saving 'table top exercise or a land-based simulation, was carried out.

What rubbed salt in their wounds was that Russian warships sailed out for an exercise of their own, apparently belying their earlier claims. The cancelled exercise was hushed up even as the warships returned to Visakhapatnam. A befuddled Ministry of Defence (mod) was groping for answers when they were snubbed again. Last week, Russia informed the mod that it had cancelled the upcoming joint army exercises scheduled to be held in Russia in June. One of the reasons given was that the mod had not informed Moscow of the army exercises in advance. Petr Topychkhanov of the Carnegie Moscow Centre says the cancellation of the exercises does not reflect any change in relations with India. "One of the reasons could be the hard process of military reform in Russia. The Russian armed forces are unready for an international exercise at this stage," he says.

Since 2003, India and Russia have conducted five of the Indra series military exercises between the armies and navies of both sides. The last such exercise was held between Russian and Indian army units in Uttarakhand in October last year. In sharp contrast, India has conducted over 60 military exercises with the US. Indian defence officials admit that exercises with Russia are largely symbolic but are an important barometer of healthy ties between the two sides. The strategic partnership with Russia still holds.


Indian and Russian soldiersDefence Minister A.K. Antony says that Delhi's proximity to Washington will not be at the cost of ties with Moscow. On the ground, however, ties have been on a roller-coaster ride. Russia is unhappy at losing a lucrative $10 billion contract for 126 multi-role medium combat aircraft. The iaf narrowed its choice to France's Rafale and Europe's Typhoon, ejecting US and Russian contenders. Topychkhanov does not rule out cancellation of the military exercises as a retort by the miffed Russians.

Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik visited Moscow recently to inspect progress on the joint Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (fgfa). The visit was also meant to mollify Russia and indicate India's commitment to the futuristic fighter which is expected to replace the most current fighter aircraft in the iaf's inventory when it is ready for squadron service in 2017.

Relations between India and Russia soured in recent years over the extended deadline for the refit of the aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov. The refit slipped by four years and the its cost doubled to $2.3 billion. The carrier will now be delivered late next year. Deadlines for the acquisition of an Akula-II class nuclear-powered submarine have slipped by over three years. India paid $670 million for completing the submarine under a 2003 contract. This month, a 100-man Indian crew that had gone to Vladivostok to bring the vessel back returned empty-handed. There is no word on when the strategic submarine, which the navy desperately needs, will be transferred to India. Russia is reportedly keen that India pay for the completion of a second unfinished Akula hull at the Komsomolsk shipyard. This has been turned down by the navy.

The real issue is the poor sourcing of components for Russian-made equipment operated by the Indian armed forces. Over half the inventory of the three armed forces comprise equipment of Russian origin. "It takes nearly a year for us to get even export permissions from Russia. This severely impacts force preparedness," says a defence official.

Some of India's consternation over these delays may have spilled over at a meeting between navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma and the visiting Russian navy chief, Admiral Sergeevich Vysotskiy, this January. Various department heads of the Indian navy read out the riot act on the poor serviceability of warships, aircraft and submarines to the Russian naval delegation. After the meeting, Vysotskiy privately conveyed his dismay at the ambush. The warning signs appeared at a recent joint meeting in Moscow when Russian defence officials refused to discuss military exercises. Evidently, it was a portent of the chill to come.

印度上月派遣5艘战舰前往俄罗斯远东地区的符拉迪沃斯托克，参加双方事先约定好的海上联合军事演习。但俄罗斯却临时取消了与印度的军演，印度海军无功而返。而俄方随后给出的理由之一是印度没有提前知会俄罗斯，俄罗斯战舰还忙于参加其它更为重要的演习。

　　据报道，前往俄罗斯参加联合军演的印度船舰包括“德里”号(INS Delhi)驱逐舰、“兰沃”号（(INS Ranvir）导弹护卫舰、“兰维杰伊”号（Ranvijay）导弹驱逐舰当时受到了俄罗斯方面的热烈欢迎。当谈到两军军演问题上，俄罗斯方面称俄罗斯目前没有额外的船舰参加与印度的联合军演。为了挽回面子，印度军方要求举行其它军演取而代之。

　　报道评论说，更令人难以忍受的是，俄罗斯的战舰被派去参加了他们自己的军演。印度方面希望从俄罗斯得到合理的解释。上周，俄罗斯通知印度国防部称，他们取消那次联合军演的原意之一是印度没有提前通知俄罗斯，所以俄罗斯没有调配好战舰。

　　对此，莫斯科卡耐基中心的专家则表示，取消军演并不表示两国关系出现变化，俄罗斯艰难的军事改革进程也是影响军演的原因之一， 目前俄罗斯军队还没有做好参加国际军演的准备。不过，有印度国防部官员则承认，与俄罗斯的军演更多的是象征意义，只表明两国关系健康稳定。

　　据报道，自2003年起，印度与俄罗斯已举行5场印俄军演，上次举行联合军演的时间为2010年10月。不过，印度已与美国举行的军演已超过60次。印度国防部长安东尼曾表示，印度与美国的亲近不会影响印俄关系。