XMAS arms sales

[ikalugin]

Looks like India is making a big buy on 24th. Is it covered in western media and if so, what is the coverage like?

[Aktungbby]

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/foreign/21-Dec-2015/india-may-buy-over-7bln-s-worth-of-arms-from-russia-during-modi-s-visit (http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/foreign/21-Dec-2015/india-may-buy-over-7bln-s-worth-of-arms-from-russia-during-modi-s-visit) Nothing current here; But large sales have been discussed over the past year...

[ikalugin]

Apparently India plans to buy 5 "SAM systems" which in Russian terminology means 5 S400 regiments, with 6000 rounds. This is a fairly major buy.

What surprises me is why such a buy is done without the lengthy procurement process India is known for?

And then there is the FGFA matter. Still, only a few days to go.

[Jimbuna]

Looks like India is making a big buy on 24th. Is it covered in western media and if so, what is the coverage like?

The few articles I've read are questioning whether India can actually afford to make the purchase.

[ikalugin]

How come?

[Jimbuna]

Probably not received the overseas aid payment from the UK yet.

[Mr Quatro]

I have always been a little fretful over the fact that Pakistan and India have nuclear weapons and hate each other.

India should be more concerned about it's neighbor Pakistan: http://qz.com/579334/pakistans-army-is-building-an-arsenal-of-tiny-nuclear-weapons-and-its-going-to-backfire/?utm_source=YPL

Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal and, within the next five to ten years, it is likely to double that of India, and exceed those of France, the United Kingdom, and China. Only the arsenals of the United States and Russia will be larger.

In recent years, Pakistan has boasted of developing “tactical nuclear weapons” to protect itself against potential offensive actions by India. In fact, Pakistan is the only country currently boasting of making increasingly tiny nuclear weapons.

[ikalugin]

Makes me wonder as to how stable Pakistan is. All those portable tactical nukes :)

[GT182]

Probably not received the overseas aid payment from the UK yet.

Or from the US too. ;)

[Kapitan]

I love jimbunas sense of humor chimes so well with my own thoughts,

as for india and pakistan well pakistan and bangladesh used to be part of india and so i guess india is a bit upset that it has now become what it has become.

regardless of nukes india has such a vast armed force that fighting pakistan is the least of its troubles.

as for the $7bn price tag i immagine it would be spread over the next decade to allow for ease of bank transfers like most of the deals they have done in recent decades.

[ikalugin]

I have heard that India is interested in defensive capability against MRBMs and IRBMs. If true, then S400 and possible S500 procurement would make sense.