The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) between long-time privileged strategic partners India and Russia takes their relationship to a whole new level, an expert has said.
"The RELOS agreement lifts India's seven-decade partnership with Russia to an entirely new strategic level. India will now have access to more than 40 Russian naval and air bases stretching from the Arctic to the Pacific, including key ports along the Northern Sea Route from Vladivostok to Murmansk. This alone is a game-changer," Bengaluru-based Defence analyst Girish Linganna told Sputnik India.
India's Su-30MKIs, S-400 systems and T-90 tanks will finally receive predictable, planned maintenance instead of costly emergency repairs. Scheduled servicing is not only cheaper but also ensures steady availability of spares, avoiding the delays and premiums that come with urgent fixes, he added.
Refuelling, repairs and logistics support will move faster without bureaucratic hurdles, giving the forces a major boost in operational readiness. Most importantly, linking the Northern Sea Route with the International North-South Transport Corridor cuts shipping time from more than 40 days via Suez to about 24 days—a remarkable strategic and economic advantage for India's future, the strategic affairs commentator stated.
"But the agreement carries even deeper significance. India already imports Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Russia's Arctic region, and RELOS now gives Indian naval and commercial vessels access to Russian Arctic ports for refuelling and repairs, with icebreaker escorts through frozen passages," Linganna underlined.
Unlike Indo-Pacific-centred arrangements with Western partners, RELOS opens the door to Russian territory, Arctic routes and wider Eurasian connectivity, strengthening India's strategic autonomy and preventing dependence on any single power, he noted.
With Russian-origin equipment forming a major share of India's military inventory, this logistics framework ensures continuity, upgrades and readiness. It also becomes the security backbone of the Chennai–Vladivostok corridor, allowing the Indian Navy to dock and refuel at Vladivostok to protect this vital route, the pundit observed.
What truly sets India's partnership with Russia apart is the depth of trust built over seven decades. In moments of crisis—like the 1971 Indo-Pak war—Russia stood firmly by India when others hesitated, Linganna highlighted.
Moscow has consistently offered India unrestricted technology transfer, local production rights, and even the extraordinary step of leasing nuclear submarines, a sign of unmatched confidence, he reckoned.
"Russia shared advanced platforms with India that it denied to others, treating New Delhi as an equal partner, never a junior. This is not a transactional relationship; it is a strategic friendship that has weathered global shifts and strengthened with every decade. Therefore, RELOS is not just military cooperation—it positions India as a true global maritime power with reach from the Indian Ocean to the Arctic," the observer explained.
Linganna's remarks came after the Russian Parliament gave its approval to the RELOS pact, which was originally inked by the two countries in February 2025.
"Ratification of the agreement will facilitate the development and strengthening of military cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of India, and will establish a simplified notification procedure for calls by warships of the Russian and Indian navies to ports in both countries, as well as the use of airspace and airfield infrastructure by military aircraft of both countries," the Duma's explanatory note on the agreement read.
The agreement outlines the procedure for dispatching military formations, conducting port calls for warships and submarines, and using airspace and airfield infrastructure by combat jets of the Russian Federation and India.