Russia lures India with offers of Su-57 stealth fighter, Oreshnik missile and Tupolev Tu-160M strategic bomber to boost defence ties

Source : Sputnik

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The Indian Air Force (IAF) is quickly facing a shortage in its squadron numbers and plans to induct 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) to address this gap. Additionally, the IAF is looking to enhance its fleet by commissioning fifth-generation fighter jets.

Russia's fifth-generation stealth fighter jet Su-57 would provide India with a significant technological boost under the 'Make in India' program, a Russian military commentator has said.

According to Igor Korotchenko, who is the Editor-in-Chief of Russian National Defense Magazine and the Director of the Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT), India has expressed its interest in the Su-57 aircraft, and there have been discussions about developing a two-seat version under the "Make in India" program.

While the Su-57 is a single-seat fighter, the Indian version would be a two-seat model, with potential production localisation in India at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) aircraft factories, he reckoned.

India needs to develop an equivalent capability jet to match the rivalry powers, but it cannot currently independently develop such an aircraft, Korotchenko stated.

"India has two options: purchase either a Russian or an American fifth-generation fighter. The F-35 offered by the US falls short compared to the Su-57 in key parameters.

Moreover, US military technology, particularly such sensitive systems as fifth-generation fighters, carries risks because of potential vulnerabilities, such as embedded software or hardware backdoors, which could disable the aircraft in the event of a conflict. Thus, India would be at risk of being unable to fully utilize American technology, especially in future military conflicts," he told Sputnik India.

The defence pundit thinks that this dependency on the US is not acceptable to India. For instance, Turkey understood this and chose the Russian S-400 over the US Patriot system. India is following suit, purchasing the Russian S-400 system.

In that context, India's need for a fifth-generation fighter is linked to its geopolitical status as a nuclear power. Without one, India risks losing its status among great powers, particularly given the growing capabilities of China and Pakistan, Korotchenko said.

"The Su-57, with its advanced features — low radar visibility, advanced onboard intelligence, supersonic cruising, and a powerful active radar system — offers the capabilities India needs," the Moscow-based expert underscored.

"Furthermore, Russia is willing to transfer production technology, enabling India to eventually produce the Su-57 domestically, which would provide India with a significant technological boost under the 'Make in India program," he added.

Other Russian Weapons India Could Put Its Eye On

Korotchenko pointed out that Oreshnik was a new Russian solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile, capable of hitting a target up to 5000 kilometers away.

This means any target within the aforementioned range can be destroyed. As the missile is equipped with a warhead containing six independently targetable maneuvering warheads, it allows it to strike six targets, as each warhead can maneuver after separation and independently hit a target, he explained.

The missile's first combat use occurred during the test launch of Oreshnik at the military facility in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, where new Ukrainian missiles were being prepared to strike Russian cities. The test resulted in an actual combat hit.

While Oreshnik is primarily designed to carry nuclear warheads, it can also be used with conventional payloads, as demonstrated in the strike on Ukraine, where kinetic impact destroyed a major missile factory.

The six warheads each struck different parts of the facility, depending on the importance of the specific sections where Ukrainian specialists, with NATO support, were assembling tactical missiles for planned terrorist attacks against Russian cities, the Russian journalist said.

Oreshnik is based on a mobile chassis, making it a mobile ground-based missile system. This provides it with stealth capabilities, the ability to maneuver within its position area, and makes it extremely difficult to detect by the West's space-based surveillance systems, the military analyst underlined.

"Its uniqueness lies in its invulnerability to missile defense interception. No air defense or missile defense systems can intercept it due to its speed characteristics and hypersonic maneuvering warheads. The missile's precise targeting makes interception impossible, ensuring a 100% success rate in hitting any target. Regarding the European theater of operations, any military target or facility within NATO member states could be destroyed without the possibility of interception," he elaborated.

Meanwhile, Tu-160M is a strategic bomber capable of carrying Kh-102 cruise missiles with nuclear warheads and Kh-101 missiles with conventional warheads. Primarily, it is designed for use in nuclear warfare.

Unlike missiles that are housed in silos, strategic bombers serve as a more flexible means of demonstrating intentions within strategic nuclear forces. They can be used to send signals to nuclear powers like the USA, France, or the UK in the event of threats to Russia, potentially delivering a strike in response to their provocations, Korotchenko remarked.

On the other hand, Poseidon is an autonomous underwater vehicle with unlimited range, capable of delivering a high-powered nuclear charge to an enemy's coastline.

It operates without a crew, moving fast and deep, making it nearly impossible to intercept. As a retaliatory nuclear strike weapon, Poseidon can be used to deliver a nuclear payload to the enemy's coast, followed by an underwater nuclear explosion, resembling an artificial nuclear tsunami, capable of destroying everything along the coastline for hundreds of kilometers, he disclosed.

"This weapon is designed as a response strike in the event of a nuclear attack on Russia. The nuclear tsunami it generates is a massive wave, several hundred meters high, that wipes out everything in its path. Again, it is a weapon of retaliation in case of a nuclear strike against Russia," Korotchenko concluded.

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