The battle of Russian weapons: why the conflict between India and Pakistan is beneficial to Moscow
A new war could occur between India and Pakistan. The reason was the decision of New Delhi to change the status of Jammu and Kashmir, dividing it into two territories with less rights than before. Islamabad immediately stood up for the rights of Muslim minorities in the disputed territory. The worst thing is that India and Pakistan, with their nuclear arsenals, are more serious players.
Recall that the reason for the endless armed conflicts created, leaving, the British, having drawn provocative borders in the former British India. Thus, they pushed their foreheads into their two former colonies, which, instead of developing, were forced to spend resources on endless armed confrontation with each other. Of particular danger to the entire Central Asian region is the fact that both New Delhi and Islamabad have nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles. It is believed that the nuclear arsenal of India is 120-130 ammunition, while it is gradually increasing. About 130 nuclear warheads are being read in Pakistan, and the arsenal is also increasing.
New Delhi can deliver a nuclear strike against the enemy with the help of Russian-made Mirage 2000H, Jaguar IS and Su-30MKI aircraft. Also, the Indians have 68 deployed complexes with medium-range missiles capable of flying up to 3500 kilometers. Back in the Indian Navy, the NS Arihant with 12 submarine-based nuclear missiles is in service, and two submarines of a similar class are under construction.
Pakistan does not have its own nuclear submarines, but there are numerous short- and medium-range cruise missiles (92 deployed installations). Islamabad cruise missiles are land, sea and air based. The power of warheads is estimated at about 12 kilotons. In addition, Pakistani F-16 A / B and Mirage III / IV can drop nuclear bombs on India.
However, a strike with weapons of mass destruction in densely populated regions could be a tragedy on a global scale. In Mumbai alone, about 20 million people live. Therefore, there is reason to believe that nuclear weapons are a means of mutual deterrence, and the war will continue to be waged by conventional weapons. It is interesting that both sides will widely use Soviet and Russian-made weapons.
During the Soviet era, New Delhi worked closely with Moscow in the military sphere. Soviet weapons were extremely widely used to create the Indian army and navy. However, in the middle of the “noughties,” India began to drift clearly towards the United States and the West as a whole. Washington has decided to support New Delhi as a counterweight to China's rapidly growing strength in the region. Beijing, in turn, stood behind Islamabad. It is in this context of the confrontation between the superpowers that the modern Indo-Pakistani conflict must be considered in order to determine what role Russia can and should play in it.
India still makes extensive use of Russian-made weapons. It is noteworthy that the T-90 tanks and Su-30 aircraft in the Indian army are more than in our own. But in recent years, New Delhi has clearly begun to pick and choose American and French weapons. The contract lost six tenders to foreign competitors. Indian authorities demonstratively show that they are conducting a “multi-vector policies».
Well, Moscow should answer New Delhi in the same way, intensifying cooperation with Pakistan. Today it is actively supported only by China. The Pakistani arms market for Russia is estimated at about 8-9 billion dollars. Deputy General Director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and of technologies Konstantin Makienko, expresses his expert opinion:
Not being a key player in the region, Russia could benefit from cooperation with both sides of the conflict, no matter how cynical it may sound.
Recall that the reason for the endless armed conflicts created, leaving, the British, having drawn provocative borders in the former British India. Thus, they pushed their foreheads into their two former colonies, which, instead of developing, were forced to spend resources on endless armed confrontation with each other. Of particular danger to the entire Central Asian region is the fact that both New Delhi and Islamabad have nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles. It is believed that the nuclear arsenal of India is 120-130 ammunition, while it is gradually increasing. About 130 nuclear warheads are being read in Pakistan, and the arsenal is also increasing.
New Delhi can deliver a nuclear strike against the enemy with the help of Russian-made Mirage 2000H, Jaguar IS and Su-30MKI aircraft. Also, the Indians have 68 deployed complexes with medium-range missiles capable of flying up to 3500 kilometers. Back in the Indian Navy, the NS Arihant with 12 submarine-based nuclear missiles is in service, and two submarines of a similar class are under construction.
Pakistan does not have its own nuclear submarines, but there are numerous short- and medium-range cruise missiles (92 deployed installations). Islamabad cruise missiles are land, sea and air based. The power of warheads is estimated at about 12 kilotons. In addition, Pakistani F-16 A / B and Mirage III / IV can drop nuclear bombs on India.
However, a strike with weapons of mass destruction in densely populated regions could be a tragedy on a global scale. In Mumbai alone, about 20 million people live. Therefore, there is reason to believe that nuclear weapons are a means of mutual deterrence, and the war will continue to be waged by conventional weapons. It is interesting that both sides will widely use Soviet and Russian-made weapons.
During the Soviet era, New Delhi worked closely with Moscow in the military sphere. Soviet weapons were extremely widely used to create the Indian army and navy. However, in the middle of the “noughties,” India began to drift clearly towards the United States and the West as a whole. Washington has decided to support New Delhi as a counterweight to China's rapidly growing strength in the region. Beijing, in turn, stood behind Islamabad. It is in this context of the confrontation between the superpowers that the modern Indo-Pakistani conflict must be considered in order to determine what role Russia can and should play in it.
India still makes extensive use of Russian-made weapons. It is noteworthy that the T-90 tanks and Su-30 aircraft in the Indian army are more than in our own. But in recent years, New Delhi has clearly begun to pick and choose American and French weapons. The contract lost six tenders to foreign competitors. Indian authorities demonstratively show that they are conducting a “multi-vector policies».
Well, Moscow should answer New Delhi in the same way, intensifying cooperation with Pakistan. Today it is actively supported only by China. The Pakistani arms market for Russia is estimated at about 8-9 billion dollars. Deputy General Director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and of technologies Konstantin Makienko, expresses his expert opinion:
Pakistan may become a buyer of a wide range of Russian weapons, including heavy and medium fighters, air defense systems of long, medium and short range, main battle tanks and surface ships.
Not being a key player in the region, Russia could benefit from cooperation with both sides of the conflict, no matter how cynical it may sound.
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