Indian Defense
Amid Pandemic, World Nuclear Arms Spending Swelled $1.4 Billion, Half of It By US: Report
Even as the pandemic raged and economies around the world were devastated, nuclear-armed countries last year increased spending on atomic weapon arsenals by 1.4 billion dollars, campaigners said Monday. In a fresh report, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) detailed how the world’s nine nuclear-armed states continued to swell their spending on such weapons.
“While hospital beds filled up with patients, doctors and nurses worked over hours and basic medical supplies ran scarce, nine countries found they had more than $72 billion on hand for their weapons of mass destruction,” the report said.
This represented a 1.4-billion-dollar (1.2-billion-euro) increase over 2019 spending, said ICAN, which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. The United States spent more than half of the total amount, at $37.4 billion, accounting for roughly five percent of its total military spending last year, according to the report.
China was believed to have spent some $10 billion, and Russia $8.0 billion, according to ICAN’s estimates.
$137,000 Every Minute
When taken jointly, the nuclear-armed states, which also include Britain, France, India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea, spent more than $137,000 every minute in 2020, it found.
The increase in spending came not only while the world was grappling with its worst pandemic in a century, but also as many other countries were banding together to ban nuclear weapons.
Last October, a treaty championed by ICAN to abolish the weapons received its 50th ratification, triggering its entry into force in January this year.
“While these nine countries continued to waste billions on weapons of mass destruction, the rest of the world was busy making them illegal,” ICAN said.
The report, entitled “Complicit: 2020 Global Nuclear Spending”, highlighted how governments were increasingly channelling tax money to defence contractors, who in turn spend increasing amounts on lobbyists encouraging increased spending.
More than 20 companies producing nuclear weapons profited from the business last year through existing or new contracts, with 11 Western companies alone raking in $27.7 billion in new or modified nuclear-weapons contracts, it found.
The top companies profiting from such contracts were Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and Draper. The report said that nearly half of the US spending last year, a full $13.7 billion, went to Northrop Grumman to build a completely new nuclear weapons system.
That company in turn spent $13.3 million lobbying US policy makers to spend more money on defence, and another $2.0 million funding major think-tanks that research and write about nuclear weapons, the report said.
Overall, companies’ lobbying efforts paid off nicely, it said.
For every dollar spent last year lobbying governments to spend more on defence, $236 came back to companies in nuclear weapons contracts, the report found.
The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.
“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.
India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.
Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.
The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.
India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade
In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.
The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.
This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.
In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.
According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.
Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System
BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.
Akash Weapon System
The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.
The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.
The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.
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