Indian Defense
U.S. And India Both Want To Ensure Stability In Afghanistan, Former Ambassador Says
President Joe Biden in April announced that the U.S. would withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, effectively ending America’s longest war. As withdrawal efforts began, reports said the Taliban made advances to seize more territory that led to a spike in civilian casualties.
The United States and India have a shared interest in Afghanistan — and neither side wants the Taliban to take control of the country by force, a former top diplomat said.
“Both countries really want to work together to bring about an inclusive, secure (and) stable Afghanistan,” said Navtej Sarna. Sarna was the Indian ambassador to the U.S. from November 2016 to December 2018.
Afghanistan was one of several topics discussed Wednesday when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi. Blinken also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk about efforts to deepen bilateral ties.
Shared Interests Over Afghanistan
President Joe Biden in April announced that the U.S. would withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, effectively ending America’s longest war.
As withdrawal efforts began, a U.N. report said the Taliban made advances to seize more territory that led to a spike in civilian casualties. “India and the United States share a strong interest in a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan,” Blinken said at a joint press briefing with Jaishankar in New Delhi, according to a State Department transcript.
“There has to be a peaceful resolution which requires the Taliban and the Afghan Government to come to the table, and we both agree, I think strongly, that any future government in Afghanistan has to be inclusive and fully representative of the Afghan people,” he added.
From India’s point-of-view, it wants to see the U.S. keep up pressure on Pakistan when it comes to dealing with the Taliban, according to Sarna.
The former ambassador also pointed out China’s involvement — the country’s foreign minister Wang Yi met with senior leaders of the Taliban in the Chinese city of Tianjin on Wednesday. That may potentially complicate matters further.
“There’s a lot happening there and it’s very important that the countries with a similar mindset on Afghanistan, who want to restrain the Taliban and make it an inclusive government, get together,” Sarna said.
‘Early Days For The Quad’
At this week’s meeting, Blinken and Jaishankar also discussed strengthening the two countries’ regional cooperation bilaterally and through the Quad, a quadrilateral partnership including Japan and Australia.
While the informal alliance positions itself as being committed to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, some see its existence as a counter response to China’s growing influence in the region.
We’ll have to wait and watch, but I think the immediate concrete thing that can happen is the vaccine initiative.
Sarna pointed out that Quad members have distanced themselves from the so-called “anti-China” club rhetoric, which some — including China’s foreign ministry — have called it. The group will have to work together in areas where they can achieve results such as distributing Covid vaccines, climate change, building up of infrastructure and pushing critical technology advancements.
“These are early days for the Quad,” said the former diplomat, adding that the four countries do not have too much experience working together in many of those areas outlined.
“But, I think the fact that now summits are taking place at the leader level, I think it’s a positive sign,” Sarna said. “We’ll have to wait and watch, but I think the immediate concrete thing that can happen is the vaccine initiative.”
Quad leaders met at a virtual meeting in March and Covid-19 vaccine distribution efforts was part of the agenda.
Blinken’s visit will likely set the stage for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue later this year in the U.S. where Jaishankar and India’s defines minister will meet their American counterparts.
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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