Russia can’t supply India with the promised weapons.

According to the Indian Air Force Command’s report to the State Defense Committee, this failure is the result of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Indian Air Force official told a parliamentary committee that because of the war in Ukraine, a “large supply” of weapons from Russia “will not happen.”

The statement, published in a report by India’s Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday, was the first official confirmation from Indian authorities amid rumors and local media reports of gaps in Russian capabilities.

“They informed us in writing that they could not transfer the order,” the report stated.

The details of the problematic contract with the Russian Federation weren’t specified, but the largest current contract for the Indian Air Force is the supply of long-range S-400 Triumph SAM systems.

India ordered these air defense systems back in 2018 for $5.4 billion. Russia began supplying the first batch of these systems in April 2021, but so far India has received only three systems out of five.

Problematic contracts

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia remains India’s largest arms supplier. Nevertheless, from 2017 to 2022, there is a steady decline in the import of defense products – from 62% to 45%.

The decline in imports of Russian weapons is explained by India’s new policy of diversification and import substitution of technological products.

In April 2022, India canceled the purchase of Russian Mi-17 B5 helicopters. After receiving the 32nd helicopter, cooperation between the countries under the current contract will be terminated. The primary contract provided for the purchase of 80 Russian helicopters.

In addition, in May 2022, the Indian government indefinitely suspended negotiations with Russia regarding the purchase of 10 Ka-31 airborne early warning helicopters, which were to become the basis of the aircraft fleet for the new Indian aircraft carrier Vikrant.

The suspension was due to concerns about Moscow’s ability to fulfill orders, as well as problems related to payment transfers, which were related to the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.