India to buy 3 Russian warships at $1.14 bln

NEW DELHI: India will buy three frigates for its navy from Russia for $1.14 billion, the Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday.

Mukherjee said New Delhi would also buy 28 land attack Klub cruise missiles for its Russian-made submarines for $192 million.

He told reporters after a meeting of the cabinet committee on security the first frigate would be delivered five years after the formal signing of an agreement.

India has one of the world's biggest navies with at least 25 warships and 16 submarines. Russia remains its biggest arms supplier, although New Delhi has diversified purchases in recent years, buying equipment from Israel, France and its new ally, the United States.