Posted on 05/30/2010 5:51:14 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
India has placed orders with the Russian defense industry to modernize Su-30MKI Flanker-H fighters produced in India under the Russian license, India Today magazine reported in its June issue, without disclosing the sum of the contract.
The project codenamed Super 30 stipulates the installation of new radars, onboard computers, electronic warfare systems and BrahMos supersonic missiles on 40 Su-30MKI fighters, the magazine said.
The Indian Air Force currently operates about 100 Su-30MKI fighters and plans to produce another 170 aircraft in the next 10 years under the Russian license.
India has a long history of defense ties with Moscow. The current cooperation program comprises about 200 joint projects, including the transfer of technology for the licensed assembly of T-90 tanks in India, the production of BrahMos missiles and the purchase of Smerch MLRS by India.
The BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km (180 miles) and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kg (660 lbs). It can effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile.
Established in 1998, BrahMos Aerospace, a joint Indian-Russian venture, produces and markets BrahMos supersonic missiles. The sea-based and land-based versions have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.
(Excerpt) Read more at en.rian.ru ...
With allies like these...
As if aiding and abetting Pakistan in its devious designs is somehow helpful.
What do they need those multiple thousand anti-tank missiles for? The Taliban Mechanised Brigade?
Likewise with arming Egypt and Saudi Arabia against Israel.
As for the MKI, the only thing that the US would have offered to compete with it is the F-15 (the advanced variants like the K and SG sold to S.Korea and Singapore respectively, in particular the F-15K). However when India was finalizing on the MKI those years ago the Eagle was not even on offer to the Indians, and anyways they would never have received the level of technology transfer that they go from the Russians. Let alone the fact that the US normally has all sorts of politics tied to certain arms sales, may not have let them get built in India, and furthermore may not have allowed integration of foreign systems (e.g. the Israelis and the Brits are having a hard time when it comes to getting permission to amp up the F-35 when it goes into production).
The purchase of the MKI was one of the best aviation decisions by India.
India is a member of the BRIC association of nations...all Marxist.
They are working deals with a country (the USSR, don’t think for a moment they really went away) to improve their military.
This and many other such moves (such as working with China and the neo-USSR to remove the US Dollar as the world reserve currency, which would absolutely destroy our dollar and our economy, and continually lobbying to have our jobs offshored to India which has proven to be as much a “benefit” to jobs creation in America as shifting manufacturing to China has been a benefit to American manufacturing) are enough evidence that India is not an ally.
But hey, if we are helping their enemies so much (as you claim), then I guess we are not allies. So let’s stop pretending.
India is a member of the BRIC association of nations...all Marxist.
Well, BRIC is simply an acronym encapsulating Brazil, Russia, India and China that was put together at the start of the decade (by a Goldman Sachs Alum) to look at nations with a frenetic clip of economic growth and potential to be future economic giants. It really had nothing to do with their politics but rather their economics.
They are working deals with a country (the USSR, don’t think for a moment they really went away) to improve their military.
I agree with you that the USSR did not die, but rather underwent a metamorphosis in order to survive, and a metamorphosis that seems to have worked considering their strong economy (in a way similar to what China also went through from the 1980s, transforming it to the regional juggernaut it is today). However, India working on deals with Russia to improve their military makes sense ...for one most of India's military ware is Russian in origin, second of all Russia provides quality for cheap (yes, quality ...just because some monkeymodel MiGs flown by Iraqis against the assembled might of NATO and the US could not hack it doesn't mean that Indian SU-30MKIs flying against Pakistani F-16s would also fail), and most importantly there are no strings attached. Just look at the debacle that Pakistan went through with F-16s it should have gotten almost 2 decades ago. Or look at the politics the US program to India's civilian nuclear program went through simply because President Bush was for it (automatically making some Democrats against it). Russia doesn't have as many political sideshows when it comes to foreign military sales (btw, the same thing with Europe and Israel ....which is why Europe and Israel are also major partners in the Indian defence story. Israel is huge there).
This and many other such moves (such as working with China and the neo-USSR to remove the US Dollar as the world reserve currency, which would absolutely destroy our dollar and our economy, and continually lobbying to have our jobs offshored to India which has proven to be as much a “benefit” to jobs creation in America as shifting manufacturing to China has been a benefit to American manufacturing) are enough evidence that India is not an ally.
India is NOT forcing American businesses to shift there ...Wipro is not holding a gun to American companies to outsource. It is not controlling the boards. Some personal responsibility is in order ...if a country wants to offshore, then you cannot blame another nation for wanting to make those extra dollars from it. It would be STUPID for India to refuse that revenue because it will affect American jobs. It is up to American companies to keep American jobs in America ....and one way that can be done is by American consumers demanding American goods and services (AND SOMETHING THAT IS FORGETTEN ...BY THOSE CONSUMERS WILLING TO PAY A HIGHER PRICE, SOMETHING THAT IS CONVENIENTLY IGNORED). If American consumers could put their money where their mouth is, and shop at higher prices for American goods and services, then WalMart would shift out of China, and call centers would have an American accent rather than an Indian one. However what I have noticed is most people will complain about jobs going offshore, then go 'save money' at Walmart. If offshoring is 'enemy action,' then the enemy is the American consumer and not India or China. India and China are simply the bar serving alcohol, it is up to you to cut the drinking habit. Seriously speaking, if Americans were willing to pay more for American made shoes and tvs and hair clips (rather than the cheap Chinese made sneakers, tellies and hair bands), then Walmart's wares would change under a year.
They are not willing.
But hey, if we are helping their enemies so much (as you claim), then I guess we are not allies. So let’s stop pretending.
Helping Pakistan does help a major enemy of India (its second greatest threat after China ...interesting China and India are enemies yet they are members of the 'BRIC association of nations'). Sure, India gets rubbed by that.
However it is a bigger problem for the US!!!!
Pakistan is the number one proliferator of nuclear weapons technology (the A.Q.Khan network). Pakistan is the number one formenting ground for Islamic radicalism, with a huge network of madrassas churning out islamic radicalism. Pakistan is the number one logistics center for Islamic terrorism, with support for various terrorist groups (ranging from newer vintage groups, to older ones like state support of the taliban until before the US went to Afghanistan). Pakistan is a quasi-failed state that sadly has the one and only 'Islamic bomb,' and with weak government powers, provinces that have all but in name broken away (the NE province, with some areas like Baluchistan also moving off), rising radicalism, huge anti-Americanism (as compared to India which had one of the highest pro-Americanism in the world amongst its population), etc etc etc. According to the British Secretary during the Bush Admin, Pakistan was the world's most dangerous country. Easily. If a bomb ever goes off in the US, shipped in by terrorists, you can almost be certain Pakistani elements (not the government ...but rather radicalized groups in the country) will be somehow involved.
Talking about pretending ...whether you are talking about outsourcing jobs, or complaining about outsourcing (yet with most people complaining not putting their money where their mouths are), or prefering Pakistan over India because India bought SU-30MKIs (goodness ...Pakistan gets ALMOST ALL its military hardware from CHINA) ...that is closing ones eyes.
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