Indian Defense
With China Funding Colombo Port City, India Urges Sri Lanka To Be ‘Mindful’ of Bilateral Ties
Sri Lanka passed a bill last month which will establish Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone & Colombo Port City Economic Commission under a $1.4 bn deal funded by China
New Delhi: In reaction to the China-funded Colombo Port City project, India Thursday said it expects Sri Lanka to “remain mindful” of the growing bilateral ties between New Delhi and Colombo, especially from the security standpoint.
“Regarding the Colombo Port City project, we have been closely following recent developments from our security perspective. We have also noted the concerns that have been raised in Sri Lanka regarding several aspects of the framework for the Colombo Port City,” Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, said at a media briefing Thursday.
He said India expects that “Sri Lanka will remain mindful of our excellent bilateral cooperation, including for mutual security in our shared environment, which includes the maritime domain”.
This comes in the backdrop of the Sri Lankan parliament passing a controversial bill last month — the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill — which will establish a Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone and the Colombo Port City Economic Commission under a $1.4 billion deal funded by China.
The bill was passed despite stiff resistance from opposition parties there, who believe this will bring in unprecedented control by the Chinese in that country. The matter was also referred to Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court that urged the Rajapaksa government to make some amendments to the bill.
The development comes within just three months of Sri Lanka scrapping the East Container Terminal project with India and Japan, and subsequently handing over the West Container Terminal to the Adani Group under a private deal.
In 2017, Sri Lanka had to hand over the strategic Hambantota Port to the Chinese under a 99-year lease as it came under heavy debt.
On the issue of the projects being developed by India in the island nation, Bagchi said India has a “very extensive portfolio of partnership development projects” in Sri Lanka, and is in “regular contact with Sri Lankan authorities regarding their implementation”.
India is running several projects in northern Sri Lanka, particularly in Jaffna where it is building housing projects and schools among others.
On Thursday, India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay also met a senior delegation from the Tamil National Alliance in an effort to push the Sri Lankan government to implement the long-pending 13th amendment to its constitution.
The 13th amendment is aimed at facilitating the reconciliation of the Tamil minority by giving them greater representation. It became part of the local statute as a direct result of the Indian intervention in 1987, under the India-Sri Lanka Accord.
The amendment proposes the establishment of a provincial council system and devolution of power for nine provinces in Sri Lanka. However, successive governments in Sri Lanka have not implemented it.
During the meeting, Baglay stressed “India’s longstanding commitment towards creating social infrastructure such as housing in Sri Lanka that enabled all Sri Lankans including the people from the Northern and Eastern Provinces to enjoy the fruits of peace”.
“He reiterated Indian support for rehabilitation and development in areas such as connectivity, health and education,” said a statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
It added, “Various aspects of devolution and developmental aspirations of the people from the North and East were also discussed. The TNA delegation apprised High Commissioner on progress regarding Provincial Council elections which constitute integral part of Sri Lankan polity and Constitution.
“HC reiterated India’s support for devolution within the framework of a united Sri Lanka on the basis of full implementation of the 13A which would be in line with Tamil aspirations for equality, justice, peace & reconciliation and would strengthen Sri Lanka.”
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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