Not to go OT but all this will not help in a significant way without the veto power in the UNSC. The reason nobody messes with China is not only due to the military hardware it has but because they know it is a meaningless exercise as any resolution condemning it it or proposing sanctions against it will be vetoed by China.titash wrote:Admiral-ji, you are doing the babooze a dis-service here.Rakesh wrote:Karthik: We are both saying the same thing We cannot change the past. Rafale is the reality NOW. And it only makes sense to capitalize on that purchase. So yes, definitely more Rafales.
But at times, one has to shake their head in dismay at the stupidity of our defence procurement. The brainy guys that are our politicians and babus in New Delhi make some monumentally stupid decisions i.e. cancelling the 126 Mirage 2000 purchase for a multi-vendor competition. Or turning down the Russian offer for four Krivak Class frigates for the price of three. The fear of Bofors has scared the living daylights of our decision makers in New Delhi.
And what is happening right now is even greater stupidity - competition for 114 Multi Role Combat Aircraft. When Tejas Mk1A and Mk2 are in development. When the infrastructure investment for 36 Rafales has been made.
The object of buying annually and piecemeal from the P5 is to spread the hafta payments. Can't pay too much at one time else folks get greedy the next year, or presidents change the next year, etc.
Regular hafta payments (above the Paki Purchasing mark) keep the P5 from selling to the one nation that hates us. It also keeps UN resolutions at bay thanks to veto. The need for such payments will go away as economy hits $10 trillion, the S5 SSBNs and 6 new SSNs hit the water by 2035, and once the MK2 + AMCA mature. At that point, the only baksheesh will be for engines. Nobody f**ks with the Chinese, no matter how many ham sandwiches they make the Uighurs eat. Moral of da story - become a hard power economically + MIC wise.
Shipbuilding - check
Nuclear Weapons - check
Supercomputers - check
Ballistic Missiles - check
Torpedoes - check
SONARS - check
Radars - check
Rocket Artillery - check
Tube Artillery - check
Armored Vehicles - check (restrained by politics, not by technology)
Nuclear SSBNs - WIP, but getting close
Tactical Missiles - WIP, but getting close
Guns - can be imported; no issues
Diesel SSKs - WIP
Nuclear SSKs - WIP
Hypersonic Missiles - WIP
IR/EO sensors - WIP
IoT & AI - WIP, and lots of desi in-house capability
Cybersecurity - WIP, and lots of desi in-house capability
Engines - hmmm
We do not have that surety, even it we reach $10 trillion GDP or more, our hafta to the P4 (barring China) will continue till we get the veto power at the UNSC (not happening due to China) or till the UN itself is gone the way of League of Nations and replaced with a new body with India having the Veto.