Russia offers to set up weapons service centres in India

[OhioChick]

New Delhi, Dec. 22 (PTI): In a bid to remove a major irritant in Indo-Russian military ties, Moscow has offered to set up service centres for its frontline weapon systems in use with India's armed forces and supply specialised steel for an indigenous aircraft carrier.

The offer of setting up service centres on Indian soil came after three days of deliberations between Russian armament companies and top officials of the Defence Ministry, DRDO and Ordnance Factories Board.

Besides servicing equipment like warships and helicopters, the service centres to be set up by Rosoboronservice (India) will maintain inventories of crucial spares.

"We are determined to ensure that the supply of crucial spares and servicing does not come in the way of growing Russian-Indian defence partnership," the firm's Managing Director V G Jayaprakasam told reporters here.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200612221966.htm