September 26, 2007

India and Pakistan. South Asia military unbalanced

The military structure of India and Pakistan is the most cumbersome and huge, both in terms of men and material. About defense expenditure, Bangladesh spends 840 million dollars, India 21.7 billion dollars, Nepal 139 million dollars, Pakistan 4.14 billion dollars and Sri Lanka 686 million dollars per year.

India also ordered three modified Krivak III frigates on July 6, 2006, from Russia for 1.1 billion dollars. The Indian Air Force is also seeking 126 multi-role combat aircraft, 80 new helicopters and light combat aircraft, it adds. Pakistan is also purchasing arms for its forces, including a 1.15 billion dollars order in June 2006 for six Swedish SAAB 2000 turboprop AWACS aircraft with radars from Ericsson Microwave Systems.

Pakistan signed a major $5 billion arms deal with the US on September 30, 2006, to purchase 18 new F-16C/D fighter aircraft equipped with AMRAAM - beyond visual range air-to-air-missiles - with the option to buy 18 additional new aircraft and upgrade its existing 34 F-16 aircraft. It is also planning to acquire up to 150 JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft worth $2 billion and an estimated 36 J-10 fighter aircraft worth $1.2 billion both from China.

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