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Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
India unfazed by Trump's secondary tariff threats: Hardeep Singh Puri on threat to Russian oil imports
Hardeep Singh Puri stated India is not worried about potential US sanctions. He believes oil markets are well-supplied and prices will decrease. India is diversifying its oil sources, including purchases from Argentina and Brazil. This comes after the US threatened tariffs on Russian imports and countries trading with Russia if a peace deal isn't reached. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Petroleum and Natural Gas of India Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said India is unfazed by US sanction threats as oil markets remain well supplied, adding that the prices will come said that India is currently buying crude oil from Argentina and will buy more from Brazil. The comments came while answering a question on US President Donald Trump's secondary tariffs threat at Urja Varta 2025 Trump, on Tuesday, had announced 100 per cent tariffs on Russian imports, including oil. Additionally, the US president also introduced equivalent secondary tariffs on countries importing from Russia, including on India. He wanred that the tariffs would be imposed if Russia did not arrive at a peace deal within 50 days. When asked about the secondary tariff warning, Puri said at the Thursday event that right now he does not have 'any pressure' in his oil refiners have been getting Russian oil at discounted rates since 2022, while while the West has moved away from Russia by imposing sanctions. Russia currently accounts for a third of India's oil imports, compared to less than 1 per cent before the war.A secondary tariff would affect Indian refiners with them having to switch to western countries for oil for a higher cost.
Mint
18 minutes ago
- Mint
This new missile-defense system is challenging the Patriot
The Patriot air-defense system is lauded by militaries around the world for its ability to shoot down deadly drones and missiles. Now, a new version of a European weapon is set to challenge its dominance and test whether the region can wean itself off U.S. arms. Europe's so-called Samp/T has long been in the shadow of its American rival, which has secured far more orders and has proved itself on the battlefield. The system's Franco-Italian maker says its next-generation model is better equipped to battle for orders. The launch comes as Europe works to bolster its defense capabilities and debates whether it should be so dependent on U.S. weapons. U.S. support for Ukraine has at times been uncertain under President Trump, who has called on Europe to look after its own security. Front and center is air defense, which has proven essential for both Israel and Ukraine in defending against attacks by Iran and Russia, respectively. The new Samp/T will take on the Patriot at a time when the U.S. system has been struggling more in Ukraine as Russia introduces more maneuverable ballistic missiles, according to a Ukrainian official. Governments across Europe are assessing their air-defense capabilities. Denmark, which has been angered by Trump's desire to annex Greenland, has said it plans to decide what system to buy later this year. Defense executives also expect Belgium, Portugal and the U.K. to soon upgrade air defenses. At stake is billions of dollars in trade—and European pride. During a recent air show in Paris, Eric Tabacchi pointed at the Samp/T's new radar as it rotated once a second, peering more than 220 miles into the sky. 'The Patriot has nothing like that," said Tabacchi, a military consultant at Eurosam, which makes the system. Eurosam is a joint venture of missile maker MBDA and France's Thales. The original Samp/T has so far been sold only to Italy and France—the nations that make it—as well as a modified version for Singapore. Since entering service in 2011, it has logged 18 full orders. By contrast, the U.S.-made Patriot has secured more than 240 orders from 19 countries. The Patriot's dominance was cemented in Ukraine, where it has been feted for taking out Russia's ballistic and hypersonic missiles. In recent months, though, more maneuverable Russian ballistic missiles have been able to avoid its radar, the Ukrainian official said. RTX, the Patriot's main contractor, said the system is continuously updated based on real-world engagements. The Patriot air-defense system has been indispensable to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have separately said the Samp/T struggled to destroy ballistic missiles from the start. An Italian defense official said they had received 'positive feedback" on the system from Kyiv. The next-generation version of the Samp/T has several features that its makers say will now trump the Patriot. Those include a new radar that can monitor a full 360-degrees of the surrounding skies and canisters that rise to a vertical rather than slanted position, allowing it to fire missiles in all directions. MBDA has also completely redesigned the missile that the Samp/T fires. The new Aster B1NT has a range of more than 90 miles, up from about 62 miles. Both systems consist of three main distinct parts: a radar, a control unit and a launcher that fires interceptor missiles. The entire Samp/T system can be set up by as few as 15 people, he said. The U.S. Army currently uses about 90 soldiers for a Patriot battery. It isn't clear what the minimum number would be. RTX said the Patriot has been proven many times in combat and that a new radar—the so-called Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor—will give the system 360-degree coverage. The new radar is being tested and will be fielded in operational units in fiscal year 2029, according to a U.S. Army spokesman. Key to winning future orders is being able to supply enough missiles. Ukraine has now run out of missiles for its two Samp/T systems, the Ukrainian official said. Last year, MBDA was taking so long to make its Aster missiles that the French government threatened to nationalize production. The company has since pledged to invest billions of dollars to bolster its manufacturing base, including increasing output of Asters by 50% by 2026, compared with 2022 levels. U.S. officials have previously raised concerns about the availability of the interceptor missiles fired by the Patriot, given the huge demand for them. The Trump administration's recent decision to withhold Patriot interceptors and other weapons was in part to bolster U.S. stocks. Trump has since said the U.S. would resume providing Ukraine with arms to defend itself—including sending more Patriots, paid for by European nations. The Patriot's interceptors are made by Lockheed Martin, which says it will soon be able to produce 600 a year—up from 550 previously. The process still takes longer than the company would like, said Tim Cahill, who runs Lockheed's missile business. If successful, Europe's efforts to develop and sell homegrown alternatives to top-selling U.S. weapons could hurt what has become a lucrative market for American defense companies. European countries' recent pledge to increase military spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product from 2% could bring an additional $330 billion of annual spending, much of which will go for equipment, investment bank Bernstein calculates. The U.S. dominates the global arms trade. It accounted for 43% of global weapons exports over the past five years, up from 35% in the previous five-year period, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a think tank. Europe makes its own ships and submarines and is a big player in armored vehicles, artillery and military helicopters. But the region is a major buyer of U.S. missiles, top-end drones and jet fighters like the F-35—widely considered the world's most sophisticated. U.S. defense-industry executives say they have so far seen no evidence of Europeans cooling on their products. The U.K., for example, recently announced an order of F-35s. Some European lawmakers, though, have suggested they could. Nine years ago, Danish lawmaker Rasmus Jarlov encouraged his country to order a fleet of F-35s. Now, he says he would push for a European option for aircraft, air-defense and other key military equipment. 'We want an air-defense system from a stable and reliable ally and not one that threatens us and [other] allied countries," Jarlov said.
Hans India
18 minutes ago
- Hans India
BrahMos Missile Demand Surges As Lucknow Facility Begins Advanced Materials Production
Following Operation Sindoor's successful strikes against terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, international interest in India's BrahMos supersonic missile has intensified significantly. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has announced that over 14 nations have expressed procurement interest in the Indo-Russian joint venture missile system. The heightened global demand has coincided with the establishment of a new BrahMos production facility in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, launched shortly after Operation Sindoor concluded. This development has been further strengthened by PTC Industries Limited's emergence as India's pioneering private sector manufacturer of titanium and superalloy components—materials essential for missile systems, naval vessels, and aircraft manufacturing. This manufacturing capability positions India as the sixth global producer of these sophisticated materials, alongside the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and China. The facility operates within the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor framework, where over seven defence manufacturing units have commenced operations. PTC's Lucknow facility now provides titanium raw materials and precision-engineered components specifically for BrahMos production. Titanium's exceptional strength-to-weight characteristics and heat resistance properties make it invaluable for aerospace and defence manufacturing applications. Sachin Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director of PTC Industries, emphasized India's previous import dependency for these critical materials. "Previously, we relied on international suppliers for essential aircraft and submarine components. Now, India maintains domestic production capabilities. This eliminates a significant vulnerability and prevents any nation from leveraging supply restrictions against us during critical periods," Agarwal explained. Beyond BrahMos components, PTC manufactures specialized alloys for international aerospace manufacturers, including Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter aircraft program. The drive toward indigenous defence manufacturing has gained critical importance as India seeks to minimize foreign supplier dependence—a priority highlighted by supply chain disruptions during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Indian military leadership has consistently emphasized that future conflicts will rely on domestically produced weapons and equipment. Operation Sindoor represented not only BrahMos's first combat deployment but also showcased India's indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities to the international community. To address increasing demand, a comprehensive strategic materials complex featuring four specialized production units was inaugurated last month alongside the BrahMos manufacturing line in Lucknow. The integrated facility encompasses a primary metals unit for titanium and superalloy ingot production, a large-scale casting facility, a forging plant for critical components, and a precision machining center dedicated to aerospace parts including jet engine components and missile systems.
