In News:

• The $5.43 billion (over Rs 40,000 crore) deal is among India’s largest defence deals ever made, which includes S-400 triumf deal and a host of other memorandums.

List of Agreements/MoUs Exchanged between India and Russia

• Protocol for Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and MEA for the period 2019-2023
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog)
• Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Federal Space Agency of Russia ‘ROSCOSMOS’ on Joint Activities in the field of Human Spaceflight Programme
• Memorandum of Cooperation between the Indian and Russian Railways
• Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field
• Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Ministry of Transport and Indian Railways in the Development Cooperation in Transport Education
• Memorandum of Understanding between the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), of India and the Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation (RSMB), on Cooperation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Cooperation Agreement in the Fertilizers Sector between the Russian Direct Investment Fund” (“RDIF”); PJSC Phosagro (PhosAgro) and Indian Potash Limited (IPL)

Significance of S-400 deal:

• S-400 would be like a “booster shot” in the Indian Air Force.
• India needs to be well-equipped against neighbouring threats. Pakistan has over 20 fighter squadrons, with upgraded F-16s, and inducting J-17 from China in large numbers. China has 1,700 fighters, including 800 4-Gen fighters. • No country is facing the kind of grave threat that India is confronted with. Intentions of our adversaries can change overnight. We need to match force level of our adversaries.