China gets stronger as we cut arms spending India’s military spending fell 3.9% while china’s rose by 6.7% in 2011, says a new report

China gets stronger as we cut arms spending

India’s military spending fell 3.9% while china’s rose by 6.7% in 2011, says a new report

In what is being described by defence strategists as worrisome, India’s military spending fell by 3.9 per cent —or $ 1.9 billion in real terms “with high inflation cancelling out a nominal increase” — in 2011 even as China increased it “markedly”. Except for China and Russia, the US and European countries have been forced by the economic crisis to end the increase in military spending seen between 1998 and 2010, says a new report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). “Military expenditure in Asia and Oceania rose by 2.4 per cent, due mostly to a 6.7 per cent ($8.2 billion) increase by China,” the SIPRI military expenditure project report states. Russia increased its military spending by 9.3 per cent in 2011. Top defence strategists say the report is not just “worrisome” but is a “warning” to decision makers. Retired Air Vice Marshall Kapil Kak told DNA, “It’s a warning to decision-makers, especially the ministry of defence, which seems to be taking so much time in inducting new systems, because of fears of another Tehelka or Bofors.” He said, “Twenty-five years ago India was eons ahead of China in aero space capability. Now China, with the help from Russia, has not just surged ahead, but also closed the technological gap. In satellite capability they are way ahead.” He said India had 40 combat squadrons, but in the last 30 years that number has reduced to 28. “In terms of submarine strength, China is two and a half times stronger than India.” The SIPRI report states China has increased its military spending by “170 per cent” in real terms since 2002. According to SIPRI’s estimate, Chinese military spending in 2011 was 923 billion Yuan Remnimbi ($143 billion), second highest in the world. India, it says, has increased military spending by “66 per cent” since 2002. Retired Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, who has authored several books including on India’s defence spending, said China started importing Russian technology in 1993. “They reached a stage five years ago when they no longer felt the need to import weapons. They are building on their own. They have said that if it comes to war we will command by air, command by sea.” He said China has been very substantively reducing manpower, by more than one million and spending that amount on technology, whereas India has been increasing manpower. “We would be the only army doing that,” he said.

Photo Caption(s):Army chief Gen VK Singh last month wrote to the prime minister expressing concern over India’s military preparedness