After India lodges protest, Russia stops China from handing its engines to Pak for fighters

Following up on talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Heiligendamm G-8 meeting, Naryanan will discuss critical defence issues: Delay in upgradation of the Gorshkov aircraft carrier, cooperation in military applications of GLONASS (akin to the American GPS), price escalation in Su-30 MKI contract and the defence integrity pact.

Prime Minister’s Special Envoy Shyam Saran landed in Moscow today to seek Russia’s support at the Nuclear Suppliers Group after the successful completion of the Indo-US 123 agreement. Saran is on a 10-day mission that will be taking him to Berlin, Brasilia and Buenos Aires to garner support of NSG members. Last year, Narayanan was informed by the Russians that they would not allow China to re-export RD-93 engines to Pakistan. Beijing has a contract with Moscow to get supplies of 100 RD-93 engines with options of another 400.

But China went ahead and gave Pakistan two RD-93 equipped JF-17 fighters for its annual air force day in March. This had the Indians protesting to Russia that the Chinese had violated the end-user agreement. The Chinese, on their part, informed the Russians that there was no clause restricting the re-export of engines in the contract signed during the Yeltsin regime in 1992.

Not wanting to upset India, the Russians told the Chinese that re-export of RD-93 engines was not allowed without Moscow’s permission.