Indian Defense
Pak Pushes For Taliban Recognition
LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistan is lobbying four Central Asian nations that, like itself, share a border with Afghanistan in an effort to coordinate a diplomatic approach to the Taliban, the extremist Islamic movement which is solidifying its hold on the war-torn country, Nikkei Asia has learned.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is on a three-day tour through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, intends to bring the nations together to pressure the Taliban to form an inclusive and broad-based government now that U.S. forces have all but pulled out of the country.
On Wednesday, Qureshi told Tajikistani President Emomali Rahmon that their countries would benefit immensely from a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, which he said would lead to enhanced economic cooperation and connectivity. He also underlined the importance of a coordinated approach to realize shared objectives, per a news release issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
A source linked to the Pakistani government told Nikkei that Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided in principle not to diplomatically recognize the Taliban until an inclusive government is formed in Kabul.
“Pakistan is using different channels, including Afghanistan’s neighbors, to persuade the Taliban to form [an inclusive] government as soon as possible,” the source, who asked for anonymity, said. The source added that Pakistan does not want a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to be a “pariah state.”
An inclusive government would represent Pashtuns, Hazaras, Tajiks, Uzbeks and other ethnic groups, and to convince the Taliban to form such a government Pakistan appears intent on leveraging the promise of recognition from five nations.
Since the Taliban took Kabul on Aug. 15, the international community has withdrawn its support for Afghanistan. The Group of Seven leading industrial nations has decided, at least for now, to hold off on recognizing the Taliban regime.
As nations balk at recognizing the Taliban, the World Bank has frozen aid to the country and the International Monetary Fund has blocked access to $440 million in monetary reserves. An IMF representative said there is a lack of clarity within the international community in regard to recognizing a government in Afghanistan.
The U.S., meanwhile, has frozen nearly $9.5 billion of Afghanistan central bank assets hived in the States. Experts believe that without timely recognition from the global community, Afghanistan verges on becoming a pariah state.
“The international community should respect the will of the Afghan people and officially recognize this group which has taken over power in Kabul,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in a media interview.
“Sooner or later the international community has to recognize the Taliban-led government in Kabul,” said Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, a member of the Pakistani Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee. Considering Taliban pledges that the extremist movement has reformed, Anwaar said that if the global community fails to recognize the new regime the country would once again become a launchpad for jihadi terrorism around the world.
Analysts believe the Taliban will not form a government until U.S. forces fully withdraw. In that regard, the Taliban has given the U.S. a Tuesday deadline.
The Taliban earlier this month declared themselves in charge of “the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.” According to Mosharraf Zaidi, a senior fellow at Tabadlab, a think tank based in Islamabad, this presents Pakistan with an “interesting” challenge. Pakistan “cannot, and I suspect will not, repeat its choices of the 1990s,” Zaidi said. “If the Chinese and Russians don’t recognize the government in Kabul, I don’t think Islamabad will either.”
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were the only countries that recognized the Taliban when the movement controlled Afghanistan in the late 1990s.
James Dorsey, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, says leaders of the former Northern Alliance of Afghanistan have visited Pakistan. “It’s likely that Pakistan will press for the inclusion of these leaders in any future government led by [the] Taliban,” Dorsey told Nikkei.
Traditionally, the Northern Alliance has opposed the Taliban.
Like Zaidi, Dorsey also believes Pakistan will remain in the diplomatic mainstream this time. “Pakistan will not put itself in an embarrassing situation like 1996 when it [was among] only three countries recognizing [the] Taliban,” he said.
Pakistan’s eagerness to coordinate its approach toward the Taliban comes out of self-interest, experts say. With the Taliban’s takeover, a pro-Pakistan regime is in charge of Afghanistan for the first time in 20 years.
“Pakistan’s only interest in Afghanistan should be the security and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan and the prevention of terrorism originating from Afghan territory,” Zaidi of the Tabadlab think tank said. He added that Islamabad must press the Taliban to align with international expectations because that is the best way to serve the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
For the Taliban to receive diplomatic recognition, Dorsey believes, it must make good on its commitment to not allow groups like Al-Qaeda and the East Turkistan Islamic Movement to operate out of Afghanistan. “Twenty years ago,” he said, “the Taliban regime was toppled due to their support of Al-Qaeda. In 2021 they will not repeat the same mistake again.”
Indian Defense
INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’
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.
Indian Defense
After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%
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.
Indian Defense
Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace
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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