This is similar to the type of system Chinas next carrier

IAC-2 is also expected to be extremely large, at least compared to Indias first homegrown carrier. C. Reasons for the delay include a shrinking budget, technological challenges and delay on the part of MoD to approve the programme. The commander of the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the defence forces, a three-star general rank officer, holds the key to the nuclear triad.Srikanth reportsInside sources have told Deccan Chronicle that just as Beijing has moved its pawns across the South Asian chessboard to contain Indias rising power, India has quietly moved its nuclear knights into place. The question is whether India is willing to foot this bill and, if so, when?ARM the army betterIndias biggest Achilles heel however may be its standing army, the second largest in the world.  Besides allowing for a greater variety of aircraft, planes operating from a CATOBAR carrier can carry more weapons and extra fuel for longer trips. The biggest issue before the Indian Army is the delayed progress of its modernisation programme. Gen B. Pensions also eat up a sizeable portion of the budget. Indias high-cost military deals now has not just the $8b - Rs 60,000 crore for 36 Rafale- whether it goes through or not -   but a $5 billion S-400 Triumf missile deal.Hence, despite India spending more than the UK on the military, the impact on the ground is minimal.  The Indian Navy has also wanted the second homegrown carrier to have a CATOBAR (catapult assisted take-off but arrested recovery) configuration. This is similar to the type of system Chinas next carrier is expected to use. But this comes with an equally large price tag of more than $11.5:1. It is only now https://www.bettnmac.com/product/cnc-drilling-center-series/ that the Army has initiated the process of replacing canvas shoes from the World War II era when the proposal for change came up in 2009.5 squadrons, it is well short of its sanctioned strength, and many of its frontline aircraft are obsolete. INS Vikramaditya was supposed to be supplemented this year or next by Indias first indigenously built aircraft carrier. China and Pakistan field about 750 advanced air defence-multirole fighters against the IAFs 450-odd equivalents. A July 2017 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) revealed that almost 40 per cent of the ammunition stockpile in September 2016 would not even last for 10 days.While a nuclear warhead can be delivered deep into the enemy territory through surface-to-surface Agni missiles, part of the fleet of Mirage 2000 fighter jets have been modified to launch a nuclear attack from the air. A damning report by Maj.S. From the sea, Dhanush, a naval variant of  the Prithvi missile, has the capability to fire a nuclear warhead from a ship or from the INS Arihant, the countrys first nuclear-powered submarine.  Rigid archaic rules, including lengthy trail processes, had put paid to the Union governments $250-billion plan for modernisation. While the world is moving towards latest technologies, our armed forces are grappling with the shortage of necessities. "Resolving Indias airpower crisis, therefore, should be a priority for the government" says the report. Not surprisingly, this has been pushed back considerably.65-13 billion (its unclear if this estimate includes maintenance and operation costs, although it likely does).  How strong are Indias defences in the 21 st century?  Will the Russian S-400 Triumf missile system - a variation of which Russia has sold to the Chinese -  help shore up our defences? What does India need to do, to stay in contention as the pre-eminent South Asia power, when challenged by China and its proxy Pakistan? Pakistan, the country that cannot allow India to dominate South Asia, surgical strike or no surgical strike, sent out a message on Indias Air Force Day, by successfully test-firing a Ghauri missile.Though, the airfield infrastructure limitations in Tibet prevent China from bringing all of its air capabilities to bear against India, yet after 2025, China may be able to deploy anywhere between 300 and 400 sophisticated aircraft against India, in addition to the 100 to 200 advanced fighters likely to exist in Pakistan by then. For those in the know, the overwhelming difference between India and Chinas defence establishments is a matter of serious concern. They can also use much larger airborne early warning aircraft to protect the ship.  The IAFs requirement for 42-45 squadrons by 2027 -- some 750-800 aircraft -- is compelling, if India is to preserve the airpower superiority it has enjoyed in southern Asia since 1971.81 per cent to Rs 2,95,511 crore, a marginal improvement from Rs 2,74,114 crore last year, the additional cash infusion is too little in the face of rising threats from China and Pakistan.  The army has been struggling to meet its ammunition targets , and a string of reports have exposed chinks in the armoury.   Since March 2017, when it decommissioned its second 23,900-ton Centaur-class carrier, the Indian Navy has only had one carrier, the 44,000-ton Kiev-class carrier INS Vikramaditya , a refurbished Soviet-era carrier. Most of the defence budget is spent on salaries and day-to-day running costs of the military. Resolve india’s airpower crisisFor the IAF, the biggest problem is its fleet strength.R. Khanduri on the shocking state of the defence preparedness of our armed forces including the low stock of armaments  has been quietly shelved after he was removed as the head of the standing committee in September this year. Though this year, the government has hiked its defence budget by 7.The report "The Manifold Travails of the Indian Air Force" argues that Indian air dominance is vital for deterrence and stability in Southern Asia, and for preserving the strategic balance in the Indo Pacific region. The soldiers are in desperate need of state-of-the-art machinery, combat uniforms, and equipment.The delay in commissioning the second homegrown aircraft carrier (IAC-2 original timeframe of 2030-32) will be the biggest drawback for the Indian navy. The IAFs ability to reach its 2027 goal with a high proportion of advanced forces is poor because it will face budget constraints, the long-drawn acquisition process, and maybe unable to reconcile the need for self sufficiency in defence production. cannot replace Indias older relationship with Russia and its dependence on oil for Iran - both of whom face U. It is expected to displace 65,000-70,000 tons, and carry 50-60 planes and helicopters. All of Indias previous carriers, as well as its first homegrown one, have had a STOBAR (short take-off but arrested recovery) configuration.The emerging alliance between India and the U.Amid all the political noise on the Rafale - Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is in France with some speculation that she will secure another 122 fighter jets even as questions are being raised on the Ambani sweethear deal, how India stays in contention as the pre-eminent South Asia power, challenged by China and its proxy Pakistan is a major challenge. For instance, the Indian Navy had long advocated for the vessel to be nuclear-powered. Forty years later, Indias edge over Pakistan has been greatly eroded with the Indian navys Scorpenes ranged against Pakistans six Agustas, a parity of 3:1, reduced to !.  As India signs deal after deal, the one question that does come up over and over is whether our pockets are deep enough to build a defence against the enemy, given that 60 per cent of the budget goes towards salaries and pensions, leaving little for modernisation.Only 20 per cent of WWR (War Wastage Reserve) or the stockpile of ammunition required for 20 days of intense battle was sufficient for 40 days, the CAG said after an audit that covered 152 types of ammunition, ranging from that for smalls arms, artillery guns and tanks to infantry combat vehicles.S.  Part of the problem is that there have been disagreements about how ambitious of an aircraft carrier to build. Indias stated intent to procure what it needs from all arms providers is a signal it may continue to look for the best deal, from wherever it can. The first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant is scheduled to roll out of the Kochi shipyard only by 2021-23, almost eight years late. Indias neighbors will think twice before they "get adventurous or attempt a nuclear attack on the country," high level sources have told this newspaper. sanctions.  The Tejas that was supposed to replace the MiG21, now no more than a museum piece, is still a work in progress. Where and what is Indias Achilles heel? Will the two frigates from Russia, the Russian-built  submarines and the Mirage fighter jets armed with Israeli reconnaissance drones deployed all along the border be enough to keep China off balance and Pakistan from continuing to prey on our borders? B. In 2017, the Army Design Bureau had come up with a 119-page report, listing some 50 problems faced by the military.The IAFs fighter force, as of early 2016, is weaker than the numbers suggest, the report said, adding that at nominally 36. But the chinks in our armour remain. That has to be India best defense.As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on a slew of agreements that reinforced defence ties between the two countries that have remained strong in the face of Washingtons sustained campaign to pry India away from Moscows clutches, there was one curious Russian request - Moscow wanted a MiG21, the fighter jet that is still an integral part of Indias air force, for a Russian war museum! Russia had stopped producing it more than 30 years ago! If there ever was a testament to how archaic Indias defence forces are, this was it. Though India is a world leader in soft power, its armed forces can be reduced to being sitting ducks if there is a war with China.  Keep navy afloatIn 1971, Indias blockade of the eastern Indian Ocean, with its then aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, effectively sealed off East Pakistan with the subsequent sinking of Pakistans ageing submarine PNS Ghazi with 99 sailors on board, off the coast of Vishakapatnam, becoming a major turning point of the war for the Indian Navy. The nuclear triad, which gives India the capability to strike with nuclear weapons from land, air and sea is finally operational.  The gaps in the IAF are best mirrored in a report of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: "Despite being a world-class combat arm, the IAFs falling end strength and problematic force structure, combined with its troubled acquisition and development programs, threaten Indias air superiority over its rapidly modernising rivals, China and Pakistan". These plans have faltered and now the carrier is set to be powered by an integrated electric propulsion system. China will spend $175 billion on its military this year, which is the second-biggest defence budget in the world, superceded only by the US military budget.