Contrarian
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- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
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I dont disagree mate. Pakistan too has moved beyond simple ToT but *i* feel that it is in its initial stages. For example converting a cruise missile from LACM to air launched is not extremely complicated. Even BrahMos aerospace ltd is doing that, using one platform for all three services. But again, it comes back to the point that yes, Pakistan has started building on its equipment.
I was trying to point out that there are stand alone missiles like Shaheen, and there are missile systems. Like for the ADS, the Akash, has the Rajendra III radar along with 3D CAR radar, all developed inhouse. Barak 8 being a JV based on Barak, and our own BMD. All this takes a lot of money being pumped into a blackhole ie research. Takes years of pumping money to develop the basic skills for missile and its associated platforms. This is what again *I* feel Pakistan lacks. This is something Pakistan has not done owing to other reasons ,lack of resources or will or whatever. But it has not done so.
Pakistan can build over the equipment, after ToT and research on it, but not produce the system from start.For example, PAF will get SLAMRAAM or something of the sort for its ADS. But it is not close to the home grown system that India is developing(not capability wise!), with the inherent advantages of being an indigenous system.
Again, this is my view and i can be wrong as well. But i feel that Pakistan has different objectives. Its objectives NOW are to match India's conventional superiority with minimum conventional detterence. SO while India spends heck of a lot on its research and other fruitless pursuits as some call it like LCA, Arjun, IGMDP among others which bear fruit decades later, Pakistan merely buys the most cost effective stuff with or without ToT, and then builds on it. In the end, India's extensive efforts are checked with minimum detterence and investment, thus Pakistan succeeds at a fraction of the cost. ANd rightly so, for Pakistan applied a smarter approach. And India has never been able to field a decisive advantage over Pakistan quality wise.
Now i feel this approach while good in the beginning will not hold good in the future starting now.There is a reason why China tries to reverse engineer all the equipment it buys. Otherwise it could keep on buying from Russia. It wants self sufficiency. For all the money that was poured in, a critical level of competence has been built in India in research as well as a huge industrial capacity, now that will start bearing fruits faster and faster. As the Chief of DRDO also mentioned, as an example,now the Agni program is on automatic mode. They can churn out missiles in a couple of years, with great increases in range and accuracy, as a basic threshold has been crossed. Same for everything else. The technology has matured in India, same for everything else.I hope you understand what im trying to say here.
