New Delhi: India’s import of weapon systems is three times higher than Pakistan and China as it continues to be the largest buyer of arms in the world, a Swedish think tank said on Monday.
“India’s arms imports are now almost three times as high as those of the second and third largest arms importers–China and Pakistan,” said the new data on international arms transfers published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
“The volume of Indian imports of major weapons rose by 111 per cent between 2004-2008 and 2009-13, and its share of the volume of international arms imports increased from 7 to 14 per cent. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s imports of major arms increased by 119 per cent,” the think tank said.
The data said that Russia was the major supplier of arms to India in 2009-13 accounting for 75 per cent of imports and the United States with 7 per cent, which for the first time became the second largest arms supplier to India.
“In contrast, the USA’s share of Pakistani imports in the same period was 27 per cent. China was also a major supplier in the region, accounting for 54 per cent of Pakistani arms imports and 82 per cent of Bangladeshi imports,” the report said.
Commenting on the arms supply business in the South Asian region, the SIPRI report said the US and China “appear to be using arms deliveries to Asia to strengthen their influence in the region”. India relies on weapon imports for meeting its military requirements in absence of indigenous manufacturing industry.
The Indian armed forces are still grappling with critical shortages in fighter jets, submarines, helicopters, howitzers, night-fighting capabilities and the like. The IAF, for instance, is down to just 34 fighter squadrons when it requires at least 44 to be “comfortable” against the twin-challenge posed by Pakistan and China.
It has now taken several policy measures to improve the situation in indigenous defence production.
(PTI with Agency inputs)