A report in The New York Times linking a company that is part of a British aerospace major to public sector Indian defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and claiming that the latter has ties with a Russian arms agency…

Tribune News Service

A report in The New York Times linking a company that is part of a British aerospace major to public sector Indian defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and claiming that the latter has ties with a Russian arms agency is “factually incorrect” and “misleading”, official sources said on Monday.

The newspaper report suggested that military hardware supplied by the British firm to the Indian company may have found its way to the Russian agency, Rosoboronexport.

The report has “tried to frame issues and distort facts to suit a political narrative”, the sources said, adding that the media outlet “overlooked” basic due diligence.

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“The Indian entity mentioned in the report has scrupulously followed all its international obligations on strategic trade controls and end-user commitments,” said the sources. “India’s robust legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade continues to guide overseas commercial ventures by its companies,” they said.

‘Supplied’ UK firm gear to Moscow agency

The newspaper report suggested that military hardware supplied by the British firm to the Indian company may have found its way to Russian agency Rosoboronexport

Citing “documents”, it claimed that one of the biggest corporate donors to the populist Reform UK party had sold almost $2 million worth of transmitters, cockpit equipment, antennas and other sensitive technology to a major supplier of Moscow’s blacklisted state weapons agency

“We expect reputed media outlets to undertake basic due diligence while publishing such reports, which obviously was overlooked in the instant case,” the sources said.

The New York Times report, citing “documents”, claimed that one of the biggest corporate donors to the populist Reform UK party had sold almost $2 million worth of transmitters, cockpit equipment, antennas and other sensitive technology to a major supplier of Moscow’s blacklisted state weapons agency.

During 2023-24, the company, part of the British firm HR Smith Group, shipped the equipment to an Indian firm that is the biggest trading partner of the Russian arms agency, the report claimed.

The records do not prove that HR Smith’s products ended up in Russia. However, they show that, in some instances, the Indian company received equipment from HR Smith and, within days, sent parts to Russia with the same identifying product codes,” the report said.

The HR Smith Group said its sales were lawful and the equipment was destined for an Indian search-and-rescue network. The parts “support lifesaving operations” and are “not designed for military use”, it quoted a company lawyer as saying.