Bengaluru Sensations: More Are to Come
14:20 12.02.2025 (Updated: 12:28 13.02.2025)
© Sputnik / Нина Падалко
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There were at least two sensations at the 15th Aero India in Bengaluru, Asia's biggest aerospace and defence exhibition. Both sensations are Russia-related.
The first one is, of course, the demonstration flight of the fifth-generation fighter plane, SU-57E, where “E” means the export version. Yes, you may see it here. As the pilot, Mr. Sergey Bogdan, summed it up, the plane has virtually no “critical regimes”. Meaning that even a bad pilot cannot possibly crush it by, shall we say, putting it in vertical position – the plane may automatically correct its course and go on as if nothing happened.
You may also be interested in the fact that here we have the only fifth-generation plane in the world that has proven, at the battlefield, its immunity from any kind of air defence.
The second sensation was an interview by Russia’s ambassador to India, Mr. Denis Alipov, saying that initially the US delegation has cancelled an air show of its F35 (and F16), learning that the SU57E was going to soar to the sky. Now, Alipov, as most Russian Foreign Ministry people, belongs to the classic school of diplomacy, that cherishes any spoken word and is very careful with the facts. So, if Alipov says that the Americans made their cancellation for the mentioned reason, then it has to be the truth.
What does it all mean to those who watch the evolution of the world? First, one should never look back at the world left behind. There was a constant contest in that world, a contest between Russia and US, for the role of India’s most important partner in military sales. Any win by one side was supposed to be a loss for the other, at least for a simple reason that a stack of India’s taxpayer’s money either went North or West. And that only relates to money, while we also have to consider the global strategy, meaning that India, as some people think, may only lean either West or East (North, to be precise). An India not leaning anywhere at all is still a fresh idea.
That simple formulae of “either – or” does not work anymore, although, admittedly, the wider Russian public, too, still keeps to that old rivalry mindset. But then, mindsets are always slow to dissolve, and that relates to all four participants in the tomorrow’s global equation, that is India, Russia, China, and the US.
So let’s see what the clever people are saying about the state of things in that Quad of the mighty, especially considering the fact that, accidentally, we are talking about the world four biggest economies (calculated by the PPP method). These are economies – as listed above - number three, four, one and two. A lot depends on their relations with each other.
And here we have some noteworthy recent statements from people known as sane and decent writers or analysts.
First, a long quotation from the National Interest, USA:“If India’s clash with China brought the fiercely independent nation closer to the United States, then the Ukraine conflict divided it from the Americans, who sought to isolate Moscow internationally in its aftermath.”
And, the author says, when it was clear that India would not abide by Western sanctions on Russian natural gas and oil, or stop purchasing Russian weapons, the Biden administration began distancing itself from India. By the time President Biden left office and was succeeded by Donald Trump, India had more or less reverted to its association with Russia. Here the example is a tentative agreement to procure anti-ship ballistic (ASB) missiles from Russia. Specifically, India is purchasing Moscow’s 3M-54 Klub-S missile system, which is capable of hitting targets both at sea and on land. India needs such systems, as it is threatened by both China at sea (and along its mountainous border) and by Pakistan on land.
So, what are the national interests of the US (since that is the name of the magazine)? Here we have the answer:
“The one thing Trump must not do is castigate India for its long-time relationship with Russia. That won’t work. In any case, the Trump administration seeks healthier relations with Russia, so dinging India for already having good relations is useless. Trump’s administration cannot lose sight of the big picture: India is useful to the United States because it can help to contain China in the Indian Ocean and along that northern border region. Further, India is helpful in curbing Islamist terrorist networks proliferating throughout South Asia. Let India purchase weapons from Russia. It doesn’t matter. Washington must work to have healthier relations. That comes through amity, not animosity”.
Speaking about that old idea of containing China in the oceans and on land, here we have a writer from Hong Kong, who says that ‘Chindia’ returns as India and China prepare for a Trump earthquake. The writer mentions ‘a quiet detente that could have seismic implications. Economic realities are at the core of that Chindia trend, so when Trump unleashed new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, the Narendra Modi government cut customs duties on high-end motorcycles, cars and smartphone parts’ – from China, too.
And, even before that, you might have noticed a publication in yet another US magazine, the Foreign Policy, mentioning that, ‘Despite their tense relationship, China overtook the United States in 2024 to once again become India’s largest trading partner, with India importing more than $100 billion worth of goods from China that year alone. Ahead of the December talks, a report from India’s chief economic advisor called for even more foreign direct investment from China”.
We, in Russia, have most certainly noticed that trend, as well as the January visit to Beijing by the Indian foreign secretary, with an agreement to improve ties, including restoration of direct flights between Beijing and New Delhi, issuing visas for journalists and think tank employees, and working toward sharing transborder river data.
To note, these very irritating and constant cold spells between China and India have never seriously hampered Russia's willingness to share military technologies with India and sell the best weapons available. That balance, here, is delicate, but so far it has worked out well.
And now for deep ideas about the role of weapons of war in achieving the stable global balance of power. The world habitually turns to India for wisdom, and, therefore, let me use the quote I really like. It belongs to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, inaugurating Aero India 2025. He said that peace can never be achieved in a weak state of security, and only by being strong, we will be able to work for a better world order. "This confluence would be effective in bringing our partners closer together, ultimately benefitting us all," he added.
Let’s hope that more sensations are coming to our world, and they’ll make it much better.
Dmitry Kosyrev is a Russian writer, author of spy novels and short stories. He also did columns for the Pioneer and Firstpost.com
