Indian Defense Firm Denies Reselling Technology to Russia Amid Controversy
In a recent statement, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., India’s foremost defense manufacturer, refuted claims that it resold sensitive British technology to Russia, a scenario that originated from an investigative report by The New York Times. The report detailed shipping records from H.R. Smith Group, a prominent British aerospace manufacturer, indicating exports of equipment flagged as essential for Russian weaponry, including transmitters and antennas.
Hindustan Aeronautics, known for its significant dealings with the Russian arms agency Rosoboronexport, did not initially respond to media inquiries. However, a lawyer representing H.R. Smith provided a statement from the Indian company asserting that the equipment in question was exclusively used for search-and-rescue missions in India, not military applications. Nick Watson, the attorney for H.R. Smith, emphasized that the parts "support lifesaving operations."
Complicating matters, shipping records revealed that some equipment sent to Hindustan Aeronautics was subsequently dispatched to Russia just days later. Despite the evident concern, H.R. Smith defended its sales, claiming that the product codes associated with the hardware were non-specific and could not definitively link their products to those later shipped to Russia.
This controversy surfaces against the backdrop of the ongoing tensions regarding international arms sales. While both the UK and the US have prohibited the sale of equipment to Rosoboronexport, India maintains no such restrictions. H.R. Smith, which made a notable donation of £100,000 to the populist Reform U.K. party last year, is linked to Richard Smith, a figure central to various right-wing lobbying efforts in the UK.
Despite questions raised, a spokesperson for Reform U.K. affirmed the legality of the donation and dismissed allegations of impropriety as baseless, suggesting attempts to malign the party would fail.
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