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Army Chief Dhiraj Seth visits Russia to deepen defence ties
Why in News?
Why India still needs Russian spares: Army Chief's Moscow visit and GS3 defence ties
Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth visited Russia to discuss deepening defence ties, with spare parts for Russian-origin equipment a key focus.
Why it matters: GS-3 core; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth travelled to Russia to hold discussions aimed at deepening defence cooperation between the two countries.
A key focus of the visit is expected to be the availability of spare parts and after-sales support for Russian-origin equipment currently operated by the Indian Army.
India has historically relied on Russia for a significant share of its military hardware, even as it diversifies procurement in recent years.
Sources: The Hindu · Topper IAS editorial
Key facts
Remember these
- Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth visited Russia for defence cooperation talks
- Spare parts and after-sales support for Russian-origin equipment is a key focus
- India has historically depended on Russia for a large share of its military hardware
- India has been diversifying its defence procurement in recent years
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- The Indian Army's Chief is General Dhiraj Seth.
- A major share of India's legacy military hardware is of Russian origin.
- India is diversifying defence procurement sources beyond Russia.
Mains
GS Paper 3 (Defence and Security): India's continued dependence on Russian-origin equipment creates a spare parts and maintenance vulnerability, prompting high-level visits like the Army Chief's to secure logistics support. The way forward lies in balancing legacy platform sustainment with diversification of procurement and boosting indigenous defence manufacturing under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth's recent visit to Russia to deepen defence ties is expected to focus mainly on:
- An administrative enquiry
- Availability of spare parts and support for Russian-origin military equipment
- Joint development of a fighter jet
- Setting up a new army training academy
Show answer
Answer: B — A key focus of the Army Chief's Russia visit is the availability of spare parts and after-sales support for Russian-origin equipment currently operated by the Indian Army.
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