Indian Defense
India To Play A Prominent Role In Our Indo-Pacific Strategy: Lithuania’s Egidijus Meilunas
![India To Play A Prominent Role In Our Indo-Pacific Strategy: Lithuania’s Egidijus Meilunas India To Play A Prominent Role In Our Indo-Pacific Strategy: Lithuania’s Egidijus Meilunas](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglL0u_AcNiCYdOPlB3wDOC1LNPrSERpMCxdH4qMpDrmkTy1NOf0Lh9EpmQ-W3WkAmRbuD401HR6FJA-L483ndbSOt6Plpwa5PMmboVV9eEgqt9xd65ulfJkGGMdXmhVr4Vn8lJiTmksgpsAUtinNI6pYvRRDDQyZAuqcSvN33FhjTcx51pA_cxwaCUEGg/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/Indian_Navy_Ship_3.jpg)
“We count on India’s strong unwavering commitment to the rules-based order and its dedication to fostering dialogue and cooperation,” says Lithuania’s vice-minister of foreign affairs Egidijus Meilunas. Speaking to ET Online, he discusses a range of foreign policy issues including the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Hamas standoff and Lithuania’s views on China.
In November 2021, Lithuania – a tiny Baltic country with a population of 2.7 million – picked up a fight with China when it allowed Taiwan to open a de-facto embassy in its capital Vilnius. Since then, China has downgraded its diplomatic relationship with the nation and has blocked most of its trade over what it calls a violation of the ‘One China’ policy.
Interestingly, India and Lithuania’s trade and diplomatic relations are on an upswing.
Egidijus Meilunas, vice-minister of foreign affairs of Lithuania, was in New Delhi last week for Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) with India. During the meeting, both sides reviewed bilateral engagements and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including developments in respective neighbourhoods, EU, Ukraine conflict, India’s Presidency of G20, cooperation in multilateral fora, and UNSC reforms.
Meilunas also participated in the second CII India-Nordic-Baltic Business Conclave and spoke exclusively to Economic Times online on a range of foreign policy issues. Below are the edited excerpts.
What is your view on China’s expansionist Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and what are the western countries doing to counter it, which has been under an eye of a storm due to its debt policies?
Under current geopolitical circumstances, the EU’s Global Gateway and other like-minded connectivity initiatives, such as the G7 PGII (partnership for global infrastructure and investment) acquire a particular importance and could serve as a good tool to try to win hearts and minds of the Global South, prone to opaque influences of other global actors, such as China’s BRI.
Indeed, it is important to underline that EU’s Global Gateway is a qualitatively attractive alternative if compared to other public infrastructure investment offers in the world. It is a transparent, market-rules based good value for money option to our partners across the globe and particularly in the developing world, keen to improve their infrastructure, perform green and digital transition and achieve SDG’s. Global Gateway is an offer to developing countries that is very hard to refuse in view of its transformative effect, quality, and sustainability.
The Global Gateway has a great potential of projecting EU’s positive, concrete and result-oriented approach. It is closely coordinated with connectivity efforts of other like-minded partners, especially in G7 framework. Some important first flagship projects of the Global Gateway were launched this year and the pace and scope of this initiative will grow bigger and stronger as we will be entering the second year of its implementation in 2024 (with some projects on sustainable urbanisation and mobility solutions offered also to India).
“India has a prominent role to play in our strategy. We want to foster our bilateral cooperation from economic, political to cultural and people-to-people contacts.” — Egidijus Meilunas
For Lithuania what matters in terms of projection of those European connectivity efforts is also the strengthening of such emerging supply chains as the Middle Corridor (across the Black Sea, Caucasus and Central Asia) but also the newly established IMEEC (India, Middle East, Europe Economic Corridor), which was announced at the G7 meeting in India in September this year. In our view, those two corridors not only have the potential of bolstering economic development and fostering connectivity and economic integration between Asia and Europe, but they also offer a genuine alternative to the Northern trade corridor across Russia, which in European view, lost its credibility and validity after the unprovoked and despicable Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Let me also draw your attention to the fact that Lithuania and Central Europe in general have established their own like-minded connectivity platform, called the Three Seas initiative, which is an indigenous central European alternative to such interferences from outside as the 14+1 format brought by China in the context of BRI. The beauty of the Three Seas Initiative is that serves a natural geographic entry point to the Single European market for the above-mentioned supply chains coming to Europe through Middle corridor or India-Middle East-Europe corridor. Therefore, we invite India to closely cooperate with our region also through this platform.
Can you share more details about Lithuania’s new Indo-Pacific strategy that highlights the need to engage with the region for a secure, resilient, and prosperous future. How crucial do you think India is to this strategy?
Lithuania’s government adopted and released its Indo-Pacific strategy: “For a secure, resilient and prosperous future,” giving a blueprint and a strong impetus to our country’s further engagement in the region. Over the last couple of years, Lithuania has shaped its foreign policy decisions to widen and embed its diplomatic footprint in the Indo-Pacific, where we see numerous cooperation opportunities. In elaborating this strategy, we took a closer look at both our own strengths and priorities and needs and interests of different state actors and other partners in the Indo-Pacific. We identified three main areas of cooperation:
Indian Defense
INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’
![INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’ INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZma1qWeuxixzWQNFcr4E4SAi5H75pCMZo9JakaQJiVRexORL1lXrVoTdk5qG1ZDkW-5fVJWE_6fplkC26hngBLsrFykHim9DHPap9wRCkdY_N749Uwptd47uWs05vhF6gG2R0rXxDyTUddYLuUH9busYEaBLNDmJXJB8Izz9Z5EOpYw7OAPC62TlOJLY/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/K-4_Submarine_Launched_Missile.jpg)
The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.
“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.
![](https://i0.wp.com/blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19SGuw5MDtceMDoa0iWWc6lzi_A9iQxNxQL85xBe_cjW19y1MJH_m0JQ6re1ywjpNTyBFKdBQ1cjAHGjteRJrEPDtiAPFF-PKnijwEJh4DyiJ0hcmhl2qzNMeyknnFjFoZlJF4ldSscTnJ67yEy9G1O_gsd9vkL3I9rg19smXdVkwIddBSPQJV9Y3QaQ/s16000/K-4_Submarine_Launched_Ballistic_Missile_SLBM.jpg?w=740&ssl=1)
India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.
Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.
The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.
Indian Defense
After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%
![After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78% After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gqEMaVLWzwfWoT_TYd9Nq6l_8hzGBwBcYv73-7NyZhMMOVESTbGDkgJ3-och4WjuFOk_g77IqZ4X6X0w9rasItBPQV8nZJXEL4XLy-DjFQbSXdhAkkJnJ3LDFF89t6DWWfsoaB0lH44jZtimqJ1gcelysqmbPAMJE5dRUMhjbOYBH2TG5D8BUPiwQHU/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/Sukhoi_Su30MKI_Fighter_1.jpg)
India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade
In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.
The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.
This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.
In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.
Indian Defense
Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace
![Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DIV1319opVfF8xXfP0sNkvUWwmHz1_Z_uMnNlj6rmFdhUAIsZ3TlJ-SweWhTSzvDmv3bGOZBeWERJE6U8S2Va_JDYmX2_SVcIpjshN1r7OE_efYIvjPOmD0npIS3qa1DhofPsHi41veOUyKwhAGftQmO3iSnldJoWS-JOaTYn8iUKxo4JC7XcN-AZpI/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/Akash_Air_Defence_Missile_1.jpg)
According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.
Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System
BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.
Akash Weapon System
The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.
The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.
The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.
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