SIPRI- Bangladesh Has 2nd highest growth rate in military spending in Asia

[The Ronin]

According to data from Sweden based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Bangladesh currently ranks second among 15 countries from Asia and Oceania which have spent most in defense in last 10 years.

Bangladesh has increased it's military procurement 81% in last 10 years which amount $4.4 billion in total.

Sources- SIPRI and DTB

https://www.sipri.org/research/arma...nd-military-expenditure/military-expenditure#

 

[UKBengali]

Good to see BD defence spending increasing greatly over last decade.

Hopefully it continues into the future as BD needs a lot of money to build a military fit for it's neighbourhood.

 

[leonblack08]

The title is misleading. The 2nd highest only in terms of increase in percentage.

By absolute terms, it is still peanuts compared to others.

 

[Pakistan Ka Beta]

Good step by Bangladesh govt . Bangladesh should ready itself for RSS and Mayamar hostilities in future .

 

[SylhetiBDeshiAmerican]

Long overdue.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

This 81 percent increase in military spending in real term is good but not that impressive, because Bangladesh started from a very low base and the defence budget just kept up with rising overall budget. In fact our defence spending share in overall national budget decreased somewhat, from about 8 percent of the budget to about 6 percent now. This means, overall budget rose even faster than the defence component.

However, the defence spending would be really impressive for Bangladesh if it can increase it another 81 percent in real term in the next 10 years from the current somewhat a respectable base($4.4 billion).

 

[Avicenna]

This 81 percent increase in military spending in real term is good but not that impressive, because Bangladesh started from a very low base and the defence budget just kept up with rising overall budget. In fact our defence spending share in overall national budget decreased somewhat, from about 8 percent of the budget to about 6 percent now. This means, overall budget rose even faster than the defence component.

However, the defence spending would be really impressive for Bangladesh if it can increase it another 81 percent in real term in the next 10 years from the current somewhat a respectable base($4.4 billion).

A lot of the acquisitions are moot if Bangladesh is unable to protect its airspace.

 

[Pakistani Fighter]

View attachment 628288

According to data from Sweden based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Bangladesh currently ranks second among 15 countries from Asia and Oceania which have spent most in defense in last 10 years.

Bangladesh has increased it's military procurement 81% in last 10 years which amount $4.4 billion in total.

Sources- SIPRI and DTB

https://www.sipri.org/research/arma...nd-military-expenditure/military-expenditure#

BD needs to let Hindutwa go and form alliance with Pakistan. We both can kick India's ***

 

[Homo Sapiens]

A lot of the acquisitions are moot if Bangladesh is unable to protect its airspace.

As Bangladesh is not facing any immediate threat on it's sovereignty, it is building it's air force on a long term step by step basis focusing on 2030 forces goal. That's why it's concentration up to now had been on acquiring trainer aircraft and training pilots, now focus is on to acquire transport aircraft. For this, they are acquiring 5 ex-Royal air forces C130J Hercules(2 already received). Meantime exploring the options of acquiring the best MRCA. Can you see the pattern? First, trainers, then transports finally the fighters, it only indicate the long term careful planning.

Although it is frustrating for now, we should not loose hope about MRCA. The biggest hurdle is to select the initial platform, from which sources we should collect our most vital weapons(MRCA)? considering the geo-political realities we found ourselves? Once this crucial decision is made, then the flow of the next batches will be rapid to fulfill the forces goal. If the air force put order the initial squadron in 2021 and receive at 2024, then still 6 years left to put more orders, in fact more than 6 years because there would be no inhibition to increase the initial order. Just look at the C130J-Hercules order, Bangladesh air forces, initially ordered just 2 Hercules, but even before receiving a single Hercules they increased the order to 5.

So, it is not out of possibility that, Bangladesh may get 2-3 squadron of MRCA by 2024-2025 and by 2030, another 3-4 squadron. This 6-7 squadron high performance aircraft(possibly Rafale/Eurofighter/F-16) combining with 3-4 squadron J-10(replacement of F-7 currently has) will make BAF a potent air force. This is what, BAF is planning it seems as per the forces goal 2030 which stipulate for 10 squadron fighter jet. But as I have said, this initial delay is frustrating and raises doubt, but as we have seen, army and navy proceeding along with the goal and with the pattern of BAF acquisitions, we can also be hopeful that BAF also marching along the similar line.

 

[I S I]

But whyyy

 

[UKBengali]

As Bangladesh is not facing any immediate threat on it's sovereignty, it is building it's air force on a long term step by step basis focusing on 2030 forces goal. That's why it's concentration up to now had been on acquiring training aircraft and training pilots, now focus is on to acquire transport aircraft. For this, they are acquiring 5 ex-Royal air forces C130J Hercules(2 already received). Meantime exploring the options of acquiring the best MRCA. Can you see the pattern? First, trainers, then transports finally the fighters, it only indicate the long term careful planning.

Although it is frustrating for now, we should not loose hope about MRCA. The biggest hurdle is to select the initial platform, from which sources we should collect our most vital weapons(MRCA)? considering the geo-political realities we found ourselves? Once this crucial decision is made, then the flow of the next batches will be rapid to fulfill the forces goal. If the air force put order the initial squadron in 2021 and receive at 2024, then still 6 years left to put more orders, in fact more than 6 years because there would be no inhibition to increase the initial order. Just look at the C130J-Hercules order, Bangladesh air forces, initially ordered just 2 Hercules, but even before receiving a single Hercules they increased the order to 5.

So, it is not out of possibility that, Bangladesh may get 2-3 squadron of MRCA by 2024-2025 and by 2030, another 3-4 squadron. This 6-7 squadron high performance aircraft(possibly Rafale/Eurofighter/F-16) combining with 3-4 squadron J-10(replacement of F-7 currently has) will make BAF a potent air force. This is what, BAF is planning it seems as per the forces goal 2030 which stipulate for 10 squadron fighter jet. But as I have said, this initial delay is frustrating and raises doubt, but as we have seen, army and navy proceeding along with the goal and the pattern of BAF acquisitions, we can also be hopeful that BAF also marching along the similar line.

Your post sounds logical at first glance but do you not agree it is stupid to leave BD airspace almost completely undefended while BAF plays with new F-7BGIs and having more trainers than fighter aircraft?!
We saw the fruits of this policy with Myanmar pushing more than 1 million Rohingyas into BD and refusing to take them back.
I think BAF is the only airforce in the world with more trainers than fighter aircraft but someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

The other thing that does not make too much sense is why have the 2017 tender where realistically only the Russian SU-30SME could win it?

Something about BAF is very very wrong - back in the late 1990s it was very promising with an attempt to buy 27 F-16s, and when that was turned down an order was placed for 16 Mig-29s with options for 16 more. Then the BNP turned up in 2001 and totally ruined the BD military.
AL has been in power for 11 years now with a strong economy and still has not ordered a single, yes single squadron of 4th generation fighters.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Your post sounds logical at first glance but do you not agree it is stupid to leave BD airspace almost completely undefended while BAF plays with new F-7BGIs and having more trainers than fighter aircraft?!

As I have said, Bangladesh govt. and BAF do not perceive any immediate threat to our independence and territorial sovereignty, so they do not bother to fill the gap on our defence loophole on a crisis mode. They aspire to make our armed forces potent enough to defend against external threat on future and they are working on that. Most of the countries in the world have more or less undefended sky or some serious loophole, because they are not facing any threat on their independence/sovereignty. Bangladesh is also more or less similar, at least perceived by the decision makers in high levels. We have no territorial issues with any of our neighbors, our entire boundary is well demarcated, we have no rival EEZ claim, no country is threatening us with attack. So govt. and military establishment is proceeding at easy with their long term plan. Their perception of reality is quite different then ours in PDF.

 

[UKBengali]

As I have said, Bangladesh govt. and BAF do not perceive any immediate threat to our independence and territorial sovereignty, so it do not bother to fill the gap on our defence loophole on a crisis mode. They aspire to make our force potent enough to defend against external threat on future and they are working on that. Most of the countries in the world have more or less undefended sky or some serious loophole, because they are not facing any threat on their independence/sovereignty. Bangladesh is also more or less similar, at least perceived by the decision makers in high levels. We have no territorial issues with any of our neighbors, our entire boundary is well demarcated, we have no rival EEZ claim, no country is threatening us with attack. So govt. and military establishment is proceeding at easy with their plan. Their perception of reality is quite different then ours in PDF.

I know what you have said but you do not build a military just to protect your territory but interests as well.
Being in a position of being forced to take in more than 1 million Rohingya refugees is not defending your interests and that is a failure of not having a balanced military.

"Most of the countries in the world have more or less undefended sky or some serious loophole"

Can you list how many countries there are in the world where one(Myanmar) is militarily stronger than a neighbouring country(BD) despite being 4-5 times less in GDP?

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Can you list how many countries there are in the world where one(Myanmar) is militarily stronger than a neighbouring country(BD) despite being 4-5 times less in GDP?

Myanmar is North Korea 2. They will eat bamboo leaves to maintain a strong army. To fund their military their junta is looting gas export money freestyle and smuggling Yaba drugs to the entire Asia. So their defence power is never proportionate to their GDP. We are not like that. We care for our citizen's well being and economic development. They don't. This is the difference.

 

[Nilgiri]

@waz @AgNoStiC MuSliM

Wrong title has still not been changed. It should be 2nd biggest growth rate in spending.

Thanks