[ravager]

The argument here isn't about sympathies. Its about which country has the best reputation as the most reliable supplier of weapons and technologies. Let alone denying key first tier technologies, India was under a 30 years arms and technology embargo even while US passed on hi tech weapons to both Pakistan and China. Those embargoes have only been slightly eased under Bush administration. The relationship India has with Russia, France and even Israel isn't likely to be replaced by US unless there is something extraordinary happening.

Delays, corruption, poor planning, management in the area or defense isnt unique to India. You and I both know even a country like US has a fair share of similar problems. You only need to look at your own F-35 delays and biblical cost overruns. Also read about Royal Navy's strategic disaster with Harriers replacement with F-35 JSF program.

And running a Google search means nothing. All you will get is random sound bytes. I follow Indian defense new very closely and much of the stink raised by vested interests over Indian procurement policies are just pure garbage.

Americans like you blindly assume that when it is India, everything is corrupt. Fact is quite the opposite, in recent times India's procurement policies have been the most transparent and corruption free. Ever since the Bofors scandal killed the Rajiv Gandhi government, successive governments have been extremely cautious and transparent with their procurement policies. And that is one of the major reasons for the massive delays in defense acquisition.

A major element of future defense modernization is indigenisation of production and design of defense equipment alongside JVs with close allies. And that's the trajectory India has rightly chosen. And yes there will be ample problems with delays, poor planning and cost overruns. It is expected and India will just have to work through those issues. Most of the JVs with Israel and some of the JVs with Russia such as Brahmos, Su-30MKIs and nuclear submarine development have been some of the most successful ventures.

Either ways, none of the above issues will likely be addressed by hastily expediting defense procurement process and buying extremely expensive and downgraded equipment from America whose reputation as a reliable supplier is kinda sketchy. That way you only end up being paper tiger like Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, South Korea or any of the European countries (all US allies). None have any real strength to fight their enemies let alone take on global heavyweight.

India on the other hand, even with corruption and delays has REAL military power unlike ANY of the so-called "US allies".

[Rockingham]

The US had not sold weapons to China, although Russia did and still does. The major weapons sales by the US to Pakistan and the establishment of the supplier relationship were during the Cold War, with the specific aim of defeating the USSR in Afghanistan. Since the USSR and India were broadly aligned at the time, India cannot justly complain now of the results it suffered because she willingly chose the losing side.

With but a few exceptions, American weapons and military equipment are the best in the world for quality, durability, reliability, and capability. They also tend to be expensive and to require a degree of organizational coherence and mechanical training and talent that is not always available in the military organizations of other nations.

Here's a news flash about the F-35. It is in early production, pilot instructors are being trained in the Florida panhandle, the test regime is progressing, and the aircraft's problems are being ironed out. It will have a long and successful service life, including with the Royal Navy and other allies.

Meanwhile, the US is moving along with the research and development of autonomous, unmanned combat aircraft. They will likely begin to go into production around the time that the Russian-India fighter program starts rolling out its first examples of the prior generation of aerial combat technology.

Give my suggested Google search a try, sorting out what sources you regard as reliable and reasoning your way through. Who knows, but you may one day be in a position to join the ranks of India's governmental and military reformers.