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India may provide Afghanistan's Arms demand through Russia

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Debate over the security of Afghanistan after NATO forces pull out later this year is gathering momentum in New Delhi. During one of his trips to India last year, Afghan President Hamid Karzai provided the government with a military wish list, posing a challenge for the Indian leadership as to how to address the request.

One of the many strategies that New Delhi seems to be working on to make sure Afghanistan does not fall back into the hands of Islamists is to provide its government with military aid via Moscow. Even though the Afghan police and other security institutions have received training from their Indian counterparts, New Delhi has been apprehensive about directly providing Kabul with lethal military equipment because it fears they may end up in the wrong hands, which could damage its local reputation as predominantly a provider of developmental aid.

However, India is thinking of fulfilling at least some of Kabul’s wishes in order to maintain its strategic upper hand in Afghanistan, by providing military aid routed through Russia. Under the plan being considered, Moscow will provide Kabul with equipment such as helicopters, mobile bridges, trucks and possibly ammunition and certain artillery, while India foots the bill. This would not be the first suggestion that Moscow send its own military hardware to Afghanistan on behalf of a third party. Last year the U.S. was set to pay $1 billion for new Russian Mi-17 helicopters to be delivered to Afghanistan. However, the deal fell through after pressure on Washington mounted following allegations that the Russian firm manufacturing the aircraft, Rosoboronexport, was also providing weapons to Syria. The collapse of this deal was seen as a major setback for Afghan government forces.

Using Russia to provide much needed military assistance to Kabul seems to be one of the best options available to the Indian government at present. It means that no “Made in India” weapons will surface on the ground in Afghanistan. Russia is India’s largest weapons provider, making the transaction easier to orchestrate.

The Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) also have mostly Russian weaponry in their inventories. Many of their soldiers have had previous military experience with Russian weapons; hence, providing military aid via Russia makes operational sense due to familiarity of equipment. However, the ANA and ANSF face their own set of challenges with desertions, radical elements and fratricide (although attacks have been falling), among other problems.

Even as India may be preparing to enlist Russia in getting weapons to Kabul, the Ministry of External Affairs maintains that it is going to wait and see what kind of deal Afghanistan and the U.S. achieve over the latter’s troop presence beyond 2014 in the form of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), if any. The fact that U.S. President Barack Obama has now told the Pentagon to prepare for a complete withdrawal, leaving no troops in Afghanistan, certainly raises the stakes for countries such as India.

A good example of why India is worried about the security future of Afghanistan was highlighted in a recent charge sheet drawn up by the India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA). The document reportedly highlights the fact that senior members of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror group have joined Al Qaeda, and are fighting on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and in other areas of Afghanistan. Excerpts from the charge sheet published by an Indian daily also suggests that, according to intelligence available, some IM members have decided to go to Afghanistan every month on a rotation basis.

The NIA charge sheet offers a glimpse into New Delhi’s thinking—and its fears—when it comes to Afghanistan’s possible decent back into chaos, in which it is run by Islamists and terror groups with the possibility of Pakistan’s growing clout over such elements as in the past. On the strength of its intel, India has made known its serious apprehensions concerning a complete military pull-out to Washington.

New Delhi has also discussed the issue of Afghanistan’s future with its counterparts in the larger West Asian region. Diplomatic traffic between India and the Gulf region has been heavy, with high-level exchanges of diplomats and India actively participating in forums such as the Geneva II negotiations on Syria.

Two important visits to India this month where the issue of Afghanistan is expected to be a focal point are those of Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Tehran has shown equal concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, while New Delhi and Riyadh now actively exchange intelligence.

The need to maintain stability in Afghanistan calls for a pragmatic and workable BSA between Kabul and Washington. This agreement could give Afghanistan the military assistance it needs via NATO itself, as it builds up its defences to challenge the threats it will inevitably face.

In the meantime, both Delhi and Moscow can join hands and constructively, under strict terms and conditions, provide the ANA and ANSF with the much needed weaponry. Without this support, and even with a minimal NATO presence, concerns will mount about the security of both Afghanistan and South Asia.

From Delhi to Kabul, Via Moscow | The Diplomat
 
@Sher Malang buddy,

so,what will be your wish list now???I mean,Russian weapons as per wishlist???
 
India, Russia work to meet Afghanistan's defence wishlist

NEW DELHI: India and Russia are working on an understanding by which New Delhi would be able to meet Afghanistan's defence wishlist. Both countries are in talks whereby Russia could provide some of the items on Hamid Karzai's list while India could foot the bill. This may not be the best solution to the issue, but there is a greater appreciation of Afghanistan's security imperatives after Nato forces pull out later this year.

The conversation, which involves Afghanistan as well, is tackling a couple of issues. India cannot possibly meet Karzai's wishlist which was presented to Manmohan Singh after New Delhi had promised to take care of Afghanistan's defence needs in a strategic partnership agreement. India itself being the world's greatest importeer of weapons, it would be ambitious for India to take on the defence supplies to Afghanistan as well.

Afghanistan has a history of familiarity with Russian weapons and defence systems. It has indicated that it would be more comfortable with Russian systems than others. It has also been proposed that some weapons could also be sourced from central Asian countries which also use Russian systems.

However, no agreement is on the cards yet, and probably unlikely to be until Afghanistan completes a bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the US. Interestingly, the US was insistent, until some time ago, that Karzai should sign the BSA. But Karzai has stalled on the signing of the agreement possibly for a greater domestic leverage until elections in April.

Meanwhile as a first step, India and Russia have decided to revive a weapons maintenance factory in Afghanistan. Afghan ambassador Shaida Abdali was quoted as saying recently, "India and Russia will jointly help revive the maintenance factory. Experts have already met and are discussing the details. We will need about 120 officers for the training facility, and Indians can pitch in."

With Afghanistan's future security becoming uncertain after NATO pullout, India and Russia are looking at a revival of their 1990s' cooperation with the avowed intention of keeping the Taliban out. Russia has also been talking to Pakistan as the growing threat from Islamist jihadis in Russia and its neihbourhood has had an impact on Moscow's thinking.

Similarly, the Uighur problem in Xinjiang has affected the way China thinks about Afghanistan, and its own role there post 2014. Last week, Nehchal Sandhu, deputy national security adviser led a group of Indian officials to meet with Chinese and Russian officials in Beijing for the second round of talks on Afghanistan. The three countries had started this conversation from January 2013 when India was represented by Shivshankar Menon.

Questioned, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, "As a close neighbour of Afghanistan, China is ready to work with countries in the region and the international community to support the peaceful reconstruction and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and jointly maintain peace, stability and development of Afghanistan and the whole region."

China has, however, maintained its balancing act by holding a similar dialogue with Pakistan and Russia at the same time.

India, Russia work to meet Afghanistan's defence wishlist - The Times of India
 
Afghan Wishlist includes......

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along with ......


a military training facility for its officers and soldiers in Afghanistan and provide a training team(Indian) immediately. The training is for English language, counter insurgency operations, ordnance-weapons & stores management and also vehicle repairs.

India probably already helping them for BASE REPAIR SHOP and INVENTORY MANAGEMENT.


now.....if India provides Af Russian weapons,what could they get.......


AF can get large number of T-72s as Russia has over 4000 in reserve.they can get upgraded T-72 as well.as Syrian Civil war showed that RPG-7(which Talibs use) is largely invulnerable against T-72,so,it can be effectively used against Taliban.But I think AF needs IFV as well.

in that case,they should go for BTR-T

btr_t.jpg


which can be armed with

-30-mm cannon and Konkurs (AT-5 Spandrel) anti-tank guided missile launcher
- 30-mm canon and AGS-17 30-mm automatic grenade launcher (2);
- Two twin barrel 30-mm canons (3);
- 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine gun and twin-tube Konkurs (AT-5 Spandrel) ATGW (4);
- 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine gun and AGS-17 30-mm automatic grenade launcher (5).


On Arty,they might get mighty older M-46 or if Indian,then Indian 105 mm Field arty is available(we gave 10 such to Myanmar,so,that might be available)

Russian 82mm Podnos Mortars are available as Russia has large no of them in storage.

AF is already buying Mi-17s.if not Mi-35,but Mi-17s armed versions may be available.but I think Af needs some modern Gunships,not Mi-35.

Trucks and Jeeps can be provided by India.no problem here...

@Sher Malang @Afghan-India
 
Those 150 T-72's is a need of the hour, they are not meant for the Talibs, but for our neighbours.

With 150 upgraded T-72, our army will have the capability to fight limited "wars", in order to defend our borders.
 
Buy BMPT so you can put 20mm holes in Saudi backed talibon & attack other tanks/IFV
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Those 150 T-72's is a need of the hour, they are not meant for the Talibs, but for our neighbours.

With 150 upgraded T-72, our army will have the capability to fight limited "wars", in order to defend our borders.

abhe bc kharam khor afghan, your *** will burn in fire if you ever dare to point these tanks towards us. Ad another thing to wish list, call back Afghan refugees in Pakistan before wasting money on arms.
 
In a couple of years we should have our own weapon systems available for export to friendly countries. With a lot of systems in pipeline I think India has a decent shot at establishing a footprint in weapons export industry.

It will take time but I think we will get there.


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Those 150 T-72's is a need of the hour, they are not meant for the Talibs, but for our neighbours.

With 150 upgraded T-72, our army will have the capability to fight limited "wars", in order to defend our borders.

Do whatever you like friend...!! Your limited war phobia will perish in smoke of fire, in case of any misadventure...!!!
 
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