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New Delhi: India plans to progressively base six surface-toair Akash missile squadrons in the North-East to counter the threat posed by Chinese
fighters, helicopters and drones in the region.
Sources say IAF will get eight Akash tactical air defence squadrons by 2015, with the first one becoming operational by 2011 itself, at a cost of over Rs 6,100 crore. Every squadron will have two 'flights' of four Akash launchers each.
Moreover, the Army is now poised to order two Akash regiments, with six firing batteries each, for around Rs 4,000 crore. With an effective interception range of 25 km, the DRDO-developed Akash system with supersonic missiles and a network of radars is designed to neutralize multiple aerial targets attacking from several directions simultaneously in all-weather conditions. With an 88 per cent "kill probability", it can even take on sub-sonic cruise missiles.
The plan to base Akash squadrons in North-East constitutes yet another step to counter China's massive buildup of military infrastructure all along the unresolved 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). Though it woke up quite late, India is now fastracking measures like raising of two new specialized infantry mountain divisions and an artillery brigade for Arunachal Pradesh and basing of two Sukhoi-30 MKI squadrons (36 fighters) each at Tezpur and Chabua in Assam.
India is also looking to deploy the 3,500-km Agni-III and the under-development over 5,000-km Agni-V ballistic missiles as soon as possible. While Agni-III will be operationally ready by 2011-2012, the two new infantry divisions, with 1,260 officers and 35,011 soldiers, will be in place by 2012.
The government, of course, likes to downplay all this. Defence minister A K Antony on Monday said the two new divisions were part of the overall strategy to strengthen the armed forces. "It's not directed at China or any country. The aim is to have an effective deterrent against any threat or eventuality," said Antony, after inaugurating DefExpo-2010.
India is not "a war-mongering country", nor does it covet "even an inch" of any country's territory. "But we are ready to defend every inch of our territory... Our aim is to give the most modern equipment to our armed forces so that they can meet any challenge from any quarter at any time," said Antony.
Yes. There is the long-pending border dispute with China, but both New Delhi and Beijing are trying to "amicably resolve" it through talks. Relations with China in other sectors like trade have dramatically improved, said Antony.
While this is certainly true, China is upgrading as many as 14 airfields in Tibet, of which at least half are now fully-operational. Its Linzi airbase, for instance, is not even 30 km away from the LAC in Arunachal.
With straight double-digit hikes in its defence budget for over 20 years, the 2.25-million strong People's Liberation Army has swiftly enhanced its transborder and 'area-denial' military capabilities as well as bolstered its nuclear missile arsenal.
New Delhi: India plans to progressively base six surface-toair Akash missile squadrons in the North-East to counter the threat posed by Chinese
fighters, helicopters and drones in the region.
Sources say IAF will get eight Akash tactical air defence squadrons by 2015, with the first one becoming operational by 2011 itself, at a cost of over Rs 6,100 crore. Every squadron will have two 'flights' of four Akash launchers each.
Moreover, the Army is now poised to order two Akash regiments, with six firing batteries each, for around Rs 4,000 crore. With an effective interception range of 25 km, the DRDO-developed Akash system with supersonic missiles and a network of radars is designed to neutralize multiple aerial targets attacking from several directions simultaneously in all-weather conditions. With an 88 per cent "kill probability", it can even take on sub-sonic cruise missiles.
The plan to base Akash squadrons in North-East constitutes yet another step to counter China's massive buildup of military infrastructure all along the unresolved 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). Though it woke up quite late, India is now fastracking measures like raising of two new specialized infantry mountain divisions and an artillery brigade for Arunachal Pradesh and basing of two Sukhoi-30 MKI squadrons (36 fighters) each at Tezpur and Chabua in Assam.
India is also looking to deploy the 3,500-km Agni-III and the under-development over 5,000-km Agni-V ballistic missiles as soon as possible. While Agni-III will be operationally ready by 2011-2012, the two new infantry divisions, with 1,260 officers and 35,011 soldiers, will be in place by 2012.
The government, of course, likes to downplay all this. Defence minister A K Antony on Monday said the two new divisions were part of the overall strategy to strengthen the armed forces. "It's not directed at China or any country. The aim is to have an effective deterrent against any threat or eventuality," said Antony, after inaugurating DefExpo-2010.
India is not "a war-mongering country", nor does it covet "even an inch" of any country's territory. "But we are ready to defend every inch of our territory... Our aim is to give the most modern equipment to our armed forces so that they can meet any challenge from any quarter at any time," said Antony.
Yes. There is the long-pending border dispute with China, but both New Delhi and Beijing are trying to "amicably resolve" it through talks. Relations with China in other sectors like trade have dramatically improved, said Antony.
While this is certainly true, China is upgrading as many as 14 airfields in Tibet, of which at least half are now fully-operational. Its Linzi airbase, for instance, is not even 30 km away from the LAC in Arunachal.
With straight double-digit hikes in its defence budget for over 20 years, the 2.25-million strong People's Liberation Army has swiftly enhanced its transborder and 'area-denial' military capabilities as well as bolstered its nuclear missile arsenal.
