BDesh is also engaged with us in some def trg. aspects.It is trying to balance the relationship,getting freebies from the Dragon,while mending fences with us.
Apparently,we're about 50% short of capital ships,ocean-going corvettes/light frigates,FFGs,DDGs,CVs, The IN wants at least 24 FFGs but has only 12.
Our yards are choc-a-bloc with orders and many projects are delayed.Hence the speedy acquisition need for the extra Talwars/Grig'vitch frigates from Russia.
An arrogant and asinine Chinese analyst,one "Leaky-You",has gleefully received the news about the Viraat's retirement as a "failure" of the IN's carrier ambitions,which he says India cannot aspire too because of our technological backwardness,etc.,etc.He also outlines China's pompous carrier ambitions where they want to have six,two meant just for the IOR,For the record, the nauseous sh*twrm needs a befitting reply!
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pla- ... 03038.html
In his long-winded piece ( from overeating raw dogmeat),Leaky-U has got many of his facts dead wrong.We bought the Viraat,for just over $500M.A steal at that price.I remember an admiral who came with the ship from the UK telling his former CNS what a beauty she was,her excellent condition,etc. The Viraat served us v.well for almost 3 decades and it is only the absence of Sea Harriers/Harriers that we've retd. the ship early. In fact,we could've kept her on in the amphib role,but even here we have no heavy duty helos!
Secondly,he says that the Gorshkov/Vik-A acquisition was too expensive. The final cost was still a bargain at the current rate a couple of years ago and we had no other alternative but the even larger Varyag for which there was no port in the country which could berth her.
How many billions did the Chinese spend on literally rebuilding the Varyaag may one ask Leaky-U? Now for tech support.Where have the Chinese got their home-grown carrier tech from? All their carrier tech,etc. has been obtained from the Russians and UKR.Even their carrier aircraft are unlicensed copies of SU-33s. Cheating and espionage are the hallmarks of China's so-called home-developed military expertise.
Now for their ambitions of sending 2 carriers into the IOR."Good sport" for the IN when the sh*t his the fan.Plus,if the reports are true that China is to base its marines at Gwadar,more pig-sticking time for the IN here too!
India has never boasted of its naval mil.prowess,even though we're perhaps the most ancient of maritime nations of Asia,taking our religions,philosophy far into the heartlands of Asia,Korea,Japan,even China with Buddhism and Hinduism! We've asked for assistance in carrier tech openly and have launched our first med. sized CV. No doubt more will follow.
This is exactly what alarms the Ch*nkos of Commie China. The thought of Indian nuclear-powered carriers not only dominating the IOR with the threat of sending their precious oil and trade to Davy Jones' Locker,but operating with impunity in the Asia-Pacific waters and the Indo-China Sea,especially if they're part of an anti-China maritime alliance with China's current bete-noire America!
Hence this impious missive from this yellow-livered "Leaky bottom". It also underscores a grim warning to our def. strategists about the open Chinese intentions which has been in the works for decades.
There is a famous book on Pearl Harbour ."At dawn we slept". The threat from China is very,very,real.Let us not have to in the future repent at leisure ,taken by surprise by the PLAN and PN working together against India.The IN requires a massive induction of assets across the spectrum and that requires putting one's hand into one's pocket and finding the cash. Finance delayed,a few years down the line may be too late.