Syeda Mazhar
United States continues to bully its way to maintain the power concentration amongst a few countries. The recent sanctions imposed by the United States against Moscow have caused a great deal of mayhem in the economic world. Business transactions between countries over arms are ones sovereign right where as Washington is stepping on Russia’s toes demanding to limit their deals with India. Similar happened when India proposed a deal to buy the S-400 missile defense system from Russia, and ended up with a threat from the super power United States of American, to face sanctions.
Under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA, USA has the authority to impose sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea and Russia. Although the President Donald Trump happens to have the power to waiver off these sanctions if deemed necessary; the White House did not stop at warning India of the sanctions. Though the goal was to punish the adversary and not to penalize friends, this is exactly happened in the case of India, a country that the United States had sought to cultivate as a strategic partner.
The United States and India have drawn closer in recent years as both countries cast a wary eye on China’s growing influence in the region. But the tussle over the Russian missile system represents a case of conflicting priorities. From the U.S. perspective, the sanctions are a necessary and appropriate response to Russian interference in the U.S. elections and Washington expects allies to assist in that effort.
India, meanwhile, is keen to deepen ties with the United States but not at the cost of severing a long-standing defense relationship with Russia. More broadly, it wants the independence to determine its own approach to countries like Iran and China, where its interests may differ substantially from those of the United States.
Despite the US sanctions against Russian defense firms, India is unlikely to be “scared” away from the Russians by Washington’s strong-arming tactics. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is his own man. His country is not dependent on the US, even as Lockheed Martin as a long standing defense deal with the Tata group to build the wings for the C-130 Hercules.
Both the countries happen to be in hot waters as soon it is supposed to finalize the deal with Russia during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to India starting Thursday. It is now about time that Kremlin and Delhi announce the deal.
India looking after its own interest took the step to make this transaction of the missile batteries to guard its borders against the neighboring atomic power Pakistan and to gain an edge over it in the region; also to safe guard themselves against China. The $5 billion transaction is something that the USA isn’t tolerant enough to handle.
The high-tech system is considered the most effective surface-to-air system in its class, surpassing the capabilities of the aging US Patriot missile system, according to experts. It can engage targets, including manned and unmanned aircraft, cruise missile and ballistic missiles at a range of up to 400 kilometers, while remaining beyond the reach of standard radar jamming equipment.
“The S-400 being so capable and at a relatively affordable price is hard for US arms manufacturers to compete against,” said Layton, who described the missile system as offering superior value-for-money to comparable US options.
US defense officials believe once operational, the S-400 could be used to gather technical data on US designed fighter planes and that critical information could be passed to Moscow either intentionally or unintentionally through a back door in the Russian designed system. India’s purchase of the S-400 may result in the US refusing to sell “advanced fighter aircraft types” to Delhi in the future, said Layton.
“It is important to note that other parts of the US-India relationship would not be impacted, simply the sale of advanced military aircraft,” added Layton.
Russia is India’s largest arms supplier, a relationship that dates to the Cold War. Between 2013 and 2017, Russia accounted for 62 percent of India’s arms imports. India “cannot be put in a position where, in effect, Washington decides what kind of relationship they have with these other countries,” said Ashley Tellis, a former senior George W. Bush administration official and longtime India expert. “That’s where Delhi will draw a bright red line.”
Hopeful that the United States will grant India’s case a waiver Ajai Shukla, a former colonel in the Indian Army and defense specialist, said the US would be unlikely to risk destabilizing its strategic alliance with India. “That’s why they (US Congress) passed the waiver sanction. India will almost certainly come under that waiver because the United States understands that stakes with India are far too high to jeopardize relations,” Shukla said.
