Bhai Zakir
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China.org.cn: India's military strength on the rise
India has successfully test-fired an "Agni II" surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of one ton. The missile, equipped with solid fuel engines, has a range of 2,000 km. According to Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the launch once again proved that India has a reliable deterrent. As one of the world's largest arms-importing countries, India's weapons and equipment replacement program have been designed in response to armed conflict with Pakistan and to contend with increasingly military powerful China. For Russia, the consolidation of India's military forces goes hand-in-hand with Russia's strategic interests.
As The Economist pointed out, the overall strength of the Indian armed forces is rapidly increasing. In the last five years, India had imported most arms in the world. For a long time, Russia has been India's main weapon supplier. According to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India purchased weapons and equipment worth a total of $ 17.3 billion from Russia from 2007 to 2011. Additionally, India is in negotiations with French Dassault to buy 126 Rafale fighters, worth a total amount of over 12 billion dollars.
In terms of army-size, the total strength of the Indian Army in Asia comes next to China's. India's defense budget has reached $ 46.8 billion. Experts predicted that by 2020, India's defense spending would catch up with the United Kingdom, France and Japan. In the construction of nuclear power, India has 80 or more nuclear weapons, and the number is likely to increase further. As to the country's power in terms of nuclear weapons, India's surface-to-surface missiles appear able to cover the whole territory of Pakistan and most parts of China.
New Delhi believes that instability in Pakistan and the world's second-largest economy China, are most likely to pose a threat to India's security. From a geopolitical point of view, China undoubtedly catches the Indian leaders' attention. As Indian Defense Minister Antony had declared in 2009, "India's major threat is not Pakistan, but China."
Recently, despite India-Pakistan relations showing signs of abating, the situation still carries the possibility of escalating at any given time. China, as Pakistan's traditional ally, may help Islamabad in its fight against India. China, although it has never formally stated its stance on this matter, has provided Pakistan with a large number of weapons and nuclear technology, according to Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
In addition to the Pakistani army, several jihadist communities active in Pakistan have also caught India's attention. These communities frequently organize terrorist attacks on domestic Indian objectives.
"Bharatiya Janata Party, one of the two major political parties in India, has strong nationalist tendencies. It has opposed the partition scheme implemented by the UK and advocates the re-inclusion of Pakistan in India's territory. This claim, although not recognized by the Indian government and mainstream political forces, is likely to affect the relationship between India and Pakistan," Tatiana Shomyan, director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
New Delhi is seeking to normalize relations with Islamabad. But no one knows what will happen next if the U.S. and NATO pull out of Afghanistan.
"The border dispute between China and India is not a major problem. The border situation is stable. What disturbs India most is that China is establishing and consolidating new outposts around India, especially in the Indian Ocean area. A Chinese company has obtained control of Pakistan's Gwadar Port. In addition, China also hopes to perfect its naval support capabilities with the help from Sri Lanka. India is in response expanding its naval force. It is not having a conflict with China, but competing for influence in South Asia," Tatiana Shomyan remarked on Sino-Indian Relations.
In order to maintain the strategic balance within the region, India is likely to seek the support of Moscow. Traditionally, India and Russia have maintained friendly relations at a political level, and this relationship has never been affected by any other geo-political disputes.
India's military strength on the rise - China.org.cn
India has successfully test-fired an "Agni II" surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of one ton. The missile, equipped with solid fuel engines, has a range of 2,000 km. According to Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the launch once again proved that India has a reliable deterrent. As one of the world's largest arms-importing countries, India's weapons and equipment replacement program have been designed in response to armed conflict with Pakistan and to contend with increasingly military powerful China. For Russia, the consolidation of India's military forces goes hand-in-hand with Russia's strategic interests.
As The Economist pointed out, the overall strength of the Indian armed forces is rapidly increasing. In the last five years, India had imported most arms in the world. For a long time, Russia has been India's main weapon supplier. According to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India purchased weapons and equipment worth a total of $ 17.3 billion from Russia from 2007 to 2011. Additionally, India is in negotiations with French Dassault to buy 126 Rafale fighters, worth a total amount of over 12 billion dollars.
In terms of army-size, the total strength of the Indian Army in Asia comes next to China's. India's defense budget has reached $ 46.8 billion. Experts predicted that by 2020, India's defense spending would catch up with the United Kingdom, France and Japan. In the construction of nuclear power, India has 80 or more nuclear weapons, and the number is likely to increase further. As to the country's power in terms of nuclear weapons, India's surface-to-surface missiles appear able to cover the whole territory of Pakistan and most parts of China.
New Delhi believes that instability in Pakistan and the world's second-largest economy China, are most likely to pose a threat to India's security. From a geopolitical point of view, China undoubtedly catches the Indian leaders' attention. As Indian Defense Minister Antony had declared in 2009, "India's major threat is not Pakistan, but China."
Recently, despite India-Pakistan relations showing signs of abating, the situation still carries the possibility of escalating at any given time. China, as Pakistan's traditional ally, may help Islamabad in its fight against India. China, although it has never formally stated its stance on this matter, has provided Pakistan with a large number of weapons and nuclear technology, according to Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
In addition to the Pakistani army, several jihadist communities active in Pakistan have also caught India's attention. These communities frequently organize terrorist attacks on domestic Indian objectives.
"Bharatiya Janata Party, one of the two major political parties in India, has strong nationalist tendencies. It has opposed the partition scheme implemented by the UK and advocates the re-inclusion of Pakistan in India's territory. This claim, although not recognized by the Indian government and mainstream political forces, is likely to affect the relationship between India and Pakistan," Tatiana Shomyan, director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
New Delhi is seeking to normalize relations with Islamabad. But no one knows what will happen next if the U.S. and NATO pull out of Afghanistan.
"The border dispute between China and India is not a major problem. The border situation is stable. What disturbs India most is that China is establishing and consolidating new outposts around India, especially in the Indian Ocean area. A Chinese company has obtained control of Pakistan's Gwadar Port. In addition, China also hopes to perfect its naval support capabilities with the help from Sri Lanka. India is in response expanding its naval force. It is not having a conflict with China, but competing for influence in South Asia," Tatiana Shomyan remarked on Sino-Indian Relations.
In order to maintain the strategic balance within the region, India is likely to seek the support of Moscow. Traditionally, India and Russia have maintained friendly relations at a political level, and this relationship has never been affected by any other geo-political disputes.
India's military strength on the rise - China.org.cn
