India suddenly buys 1,000 missiles from Russia to deal with Pakistan

An anonymous Indian defense official revealed yesterday that the country's air force is urgently ordering a batch of Russian missiles worth 700 million USD to equip its MiG-29, Su-30MKI and Mirage 2000 fighter squadrons.

RVV-AE missile installed on an Indian Su-30MKI fighter in 2015. Photo: IAF.

New Delhi wants to buy 300 R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles and 400 RVV-AE medium-range air-to-air missiles, along with an unspecified number of Kh-31P anti-radar missiles. The decision is to replenish the missile stockpile, which was depleted after a large-scale air battle with Pakistan on February 27.

The Indian Army has also asked Russia to supply more weapons such as missile launchers and multiple rocket launchers. "New Delhi is negotiating the terms of the contract with Moscow and the deal will be finalized soon," the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

India and Pakistan witnessed the biggest air battle between their two countries since 1971, when fighter jets from both countries clashed over the disputed Kashmir region on February 27. Fighter jets from both sides fired various missiles at their targets, but only one Indian MiG-21 was shot down, forcing the pilot to eject and be taken prisoner.

After the air battle, the Indian Air Force faced much criticism for its combat effectiveness, forcing it to make some tactical adjustments and deploy more modern Su-30MKI fighters closer to the border. New Delhi is also making efforts to improve the combat capabilities of its fighter fleet.