MOSCOW - India is planning to send a delegation of senior armed forces officials and technical experts to the United States to address Washington's concerns over New Delhi's plan to purchase Russian-made S-400 air defence systems, the Economic Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.
According to the Economic Times, Washington officially notified New Delhi of its concerns about US weapons used by India being exposed to the Russian-made defence systems. The United States fears that its military platforms could be hacked in case they are used alongside the Russian equipment, the media added.
New Delhi dismissed the US concerns as groundless, but agreed to hear the US fears, the newspaper said.
India is seeking to secure a waiver to purchase Russian S-400 systems amid sanctions banning US allies to have military deals with Russia, the media noted.
In mid-July, Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Delhi and Moscow had reached a final stage in talks on the deliveries of S-400. If the two sides secure the contract, India will become the third buyer of the system, after China and Turkey.
The United States has been trying to prevent other states from buying S-400 from Russia, in particular by invoking its Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) which envisions punitive measures for any third party that carries out major transactions with the sanctioned Russian companies.