India stalls payments to Russia for upgrading Il-38 patrol aircraft

Refusing to take delivery of Il-38 SD (Sea Dragon) anti-submarine aircraft, India has suspended payments to Russia...

Refusing to take delivery of Il-38 SD (Sea Dragon) anti-submarine aircraft, India has suspended payments to Russia under the $150 million deal sealed by state arms exports agency Rosoboronexport and executed by Ilyushin Aircraft Construction Company, Russian business daily Kommersant reported on Friday.

CEO of the Ilyushin Aircraft Construction Company Viktor Livanov told Interfax-AVN news agency that Indian side was delaying the implementation of the contract for the delivery of five upgraded Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft by advancing unjustified technical demands.

Rosoboronexport had concluded the deal for upgrading five Il-38s into Il-38SDs by installing the Sea Dragon system in 2001.

“We find nothing wrong with the Sea Dragon’s targeting system. But the Indian military will not take delivery of the aircraft, asking additional tests and putting forward more demands to the technical characteristics of the aircraft not stipulated in the contract,” Livanov said.

“India claims that Sea Dragon failed to correspond to the technical design assignment during the test operations in the Barents Sea,” Kommersant said, adding, “The system allegedly failed to discover a submarine that was at the target distance from it.”

Livanov said by now two upgraded aircraft have been delivered to India, pointing out the third and fourth were ready for delivery, and the fifth will be completed in September.

“All the functions of Sea Dragon were proven during live tests but India continues to insist on further improvements. But that can’t continue indefinitely,” he noted.