What's going on in India?

[Smitty-48]

India and Pakistan are basically fielding 1980's nuclear weapons technology.

But then again, so is America, it's not like America has built a new nuke since the 80's

[BjornP]

I know next to nothing about fighter planes, but what surprised me about this story (aside from the fact it's barely getting any news traction here), was that India used MiG's, at all. Did they get them from Russia or "second-hand", so to speak? Does India still have a contract with Russian arms manufacturers, or has the US (or other countries) outcompeted the Russians?

[Speaker to Animals]

I know next to nothing about fighter planes, but what surprised me about this story (aside from the fact it's barely getting any news traction here), was that India used MiG's, at all. Did they get them from Russia or "second-hand", so to speak? Does India still have a contract with Russian arms manufacturers, or has the US (or other countries) outcompeted the Russians?

India likes to buy from different sides so that they are not dependent upon a single nation's vendors.

Probably the only people they are not dealing with are the Chinese.

Pakis seem to have better aircraft all around.

[Smitty-48]

I know next to nothing about fighter planes, but what surprised me about this story (aside from the fact it's barely getting any news traction here), was that India used MiG's, at all. Did they get them from Russia or "second-hand", so to speak? Does India still have a contract with Russian arms manufacturers, or has the US (or other countries) outcompeted the Russians?

Russia is and has been for decades the main arms dealer to India.

The Indian Army is mostly T-90's and BMP-2's

The Indian Air Force flies Soviet MiGs and Russian Sukhois.

The Indian Navy uses Russian kit as well.

The Indians like to buy from a stable of vendors, as a political weapon, and in case a vendor would cut them off with sanctions.

Also, they like the Russian kit because it is cheap and plentiful, so it provides them with mass at an affordable price.

[Smitty-48]

Another thing the Indians like to do, is combine Russian tech with Israeli tech, so it's the best of both worlds, and the Israelis make their tech to interface with Russian tech for just this reason.

It's like the latest Indian warship is basically a Russian warship, with Israeli radar and combat management systems.

They get the heavy duty Russian hardware, then they load it up with NATO equivalent information technology from Israel.

[Smitty-48]

Problem for India tho; Russia has cancelled the PAK-FA. That was supposed to be India's 5th Gen fighter.

No Russian option, China is their enemy, so no China option, means India will be buying F-35 in the not too distant future.

For the absolute edge, top o' the line kit, India goes to America, like with P-8, Apache, Globemaster III etc

[Smitty-48]

Problem then being, when India has F-35, they will be totally dominant, they will be able to shoot down Pak jets and penetrate Pak IADS, with impunity, which will give them a first strike option against Pakistan's nukes.

On the other hand, we arm democracies to fight and win against Islamic States, so I'm not going to tell India that they can't have what I have.

[Smitty-48]

Pakistan has returned the captured Wing Commander to India, they just dropped him off at the border crossing, so that should calm things down a bit.

[Speaker to Animals]

We should sell it to both.

[Smitty-48]

I don't think Pakistan will be trusted with F-35, moreover I don't think they can afford it, they buy from China, because Pakistan is poor. JF-17 is Pakistan's "next generation fighter"