India eyes production of nuclear-capable missile after test success

[Lite Beer]

India eyes production of nuclear-capable missile after test success

New Delhi - India Sunday successfully tested for the second time an intercontinental nuclear-capable ballistic missile and planned to start production after further trials, officials said.

The Agni-V was launched early from a test range on Wheeler Island located off the coast of Orissa state in eastern India, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) spokesman Ravi Gupta said.

"The missile hit its target in the Indian Ocean in 20 minutes, all desired mission objectives of this developmental test were met," Gupta said.

The 17-metre-long and 2-metre-wide missile developed by the DRDO can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne, and has a range of 5000 kilometres.

-- The Nation 2013-09-15

[Gulfsailor]

Yeah, more nukes!!! At least it explains India's desire to build some Thorium nuclear power plants. No easier and cheaper way to secretly breed the required uranium 233 for the bombs...

[F430murci]

Why does a country that cannot even feed its own people or have a sanitary sewer system or burial system need nuclear weapons?

Edited September 15, 2013 by F430murci

[NeverSure]

Why does a country that cannot even feed its own people or have a sanitary sewer system or burial system need nuclear weapons?

Because China and Pakistan have them. In particular, India and Pakistan are old, old enemies and regularly skirmish on the border in the Cashmere area. China and India are hardly best friends. "Walk softly and carry a big stick."

India already has nukes. I don't know what they have for missiles to carry them up until now.

Edited September 15, 2013 by NeverSure

[F430murci]

Why does a country that cannot even feed its own people or have a sanitary sewer system or burial system need nuclear weapons?

Because China and Pakistan have them. In particular, India and Pakistan are old, old enemies and regularly skirmish on the border in the Cashmere area. China and India are hardly best friends. "Walk softly and carry a big stick."

India already has nukes. I don't know what they have for missiles to carry them up until now.

Clearly missed the point of a somewhat rhetorical question. Why don't we give Assad nukes then since he has enemies with nuclear weapons? Countries like India should be spending their resources on a good toilet system and taking care of its people.

[Publicus]

Pakistan's threats as perceived by India were instrumental in India's development of a nuclear weapons program.

However, India doesn't need an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against its hostile, contiguous, neighbor to its west, Pakistan. Short range nuclear capable missiles, and perhaps some medium ranged missiles will do the trick for India in respect to Pakistan. Afghanistan is of concern to India but Afghanistan not a nuclear concern.

India needs an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against the aggressiveness of the CCP-PRC in the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

India has aligned itself against the aggressions and belligerence of the CCP-PRC in the South China Sea, by allying with Asean countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines, by joining with Japan in its island and territorial disputes initiated by Beijing, and in relation to new CCP-PRC naval and military facilities that form a "String of Pearls" around India from Iran along the Arabian Sea which adjoins the Indian Ocean, in Bangladesh, in Sri Lanka immediately south of India and in Burma/Myanmar.

Beijing and New Deli continue to have border disputes which include Beijing's claims to most of northern India.

India has determined it needs intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missiles because of the recent and increasing aggressions of the CCP-PRC. against it and against the entire Indo-Pacific strategic region.

“Victory Without Bloodshed”: China’s India Strategy

“Subduing India, preferably without striking a blow, remains a major Chinese policy objective.”

Neither power is comfortable with the rise of the other.

Asia has never known a time when China and India were growing strong simultaneously, in such close proximity and with disputed frontiers and overlapping spheres of influence.

A 2012 Pew opinion poll showed that only 23 percent Chinese and Indians hold a “favorable” view of each other.

http://thediplomat.com/2013/08/20/victory-without-bloodshed-chinas-india-strategy/

[Gulfsailor]

Pakistan's threats as perceived by India were instrumental in India's development of a nuclear weapons program.

However, India doesn't need an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against its hostile, contiguous, neighbor to its west, Pakistan. Short range nuclear capable missiles, and perhaps some medium ranged missiles will do the trick for India in respect to Pakistan. Afghanistan is of concern to India but Afghanistan not a nuclear concern.

India needs an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against the aggressiveness of the CCP-PRC in the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

India has aligned itself against the aggressions and belligerence of the CCP-PRC in the South China Sea, by allying with Asean countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines, by joining with Japan in its island and territorial disputes initiated by Beijing, and in relation to new CCP-PRC naval and military facilities that form a "String of Pearls" around India from Iran along the Arabian Sea which adjoins the Indian Ocean, in Bangladesh, in Sri Lanka immediately south of India and in Burma/Myanmar.

Beijing and New Deli continue to have border disputes which include Beijing's claims to most of northern India.

India has determined it needs intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missiles because of the recent and increasing aggressions of the CCP-PRC. against it and against the entire Indo-Pacific strategic region.

Victory Without Bloodshed: Chinas India Strategy

Subduing India, preferably without striking a blow, remains a major Chinese policy objective.

Neither power is comfortable with the rise of the other.

Asia has never known a time when China and India were growing strong simultaneously, in such close proximity and with disputed frontiers and overlapping spheres of influence.

A 2012 Pew opinion poll showed that only 23 percent Chinese and Indians hold a favorable view of each other.

http://thediplomat.com/2013/08/20/victory-without-bloodshed-chinas-india-strategy/

From an American/western perspective it's a good thing that there are tensions between these two rising powers. Imagine the alternative; India and China teaming up...

I think all the chaos in the Middle East has been initiated by the west for the same reason. 'If they fight one another, they won't fight us.'

[F430murci]

Pakistan's threats as perceived by India were instrumental in India's development of a nuclear weapons program.

However, India doesn't need an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against its hostile, contiguous, neighbor to its west, Pakistan. Short range nuclear capable missiles, and perhaps some medium ranged missiles will do the trick for India in respect to Pakistan. Afghanistan is of concern to India but Afghanistan not a nuclear concern.

India needs an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against the aggressiveness of the CCP-PRC in the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

India has aligned itself against the aggressions and belligerence of the CCP-PRC in the South China Sea, by allying with Asean countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines, by joining with Japan in its island and territorial disputes initiated by Beijing, and in relation to new CCP-PRC naval and military facilities that form a "String of Pearls" around India from Iran along the Arabian Sea which adjoins the Indian Ocean, in Bangladesh, in Sri Lanka immediately south of India and in Burma/Myanmar.

Beijing and New Deli continue to have border disputes which include Beijing's claims to most of northern India.

India has determined it needs intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missiles because of the recent and increasing aggressions of the CCP-PRC. against it and against the entire Indo-Pacific strategic region.

Victory Without Bloodshed: Chinas India Strategy

Subduing India, preferably without striking a blow, remains a major Chinese policy objective.

Neither power is comfortable with the rise of the other.

Asia has never known a time when China and India were growing strong simultaneously, in such close proximity and with disputed frontiers and overlapping spheres of influence.

A 2012 Pew opinion poll showed that only 23 percent Chinese and Indians hold a favorable view of each other.

http://thediplomat.com/2013/08/20/victory-without-bloodshed-chinas-india-strategy/

From an American/western perspective it's a good thing that there are tensions between these two rising powers. Imagine the alternative; India and China teaming up...

I think all the chaos in the Middle East has been initiated by the west for the same reason. 'If they fight one another, they won't fight us.'

None if this benefits the US as a whole. It is killing us, draining our economy, draining our resources and cause tension between us and Russia. Like seriously, one if these little countries is going to f*** with US if they don't have to mess with their neighbors they have been at odds with for how long? It is the Middle East that seems to be addicted to conflict, not the US.

[Publicus]

Pakistan's threats as perceived by India were instrumental in India's development of a nuclear weapons program.

However, India doesn't need an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against its hostile, contiguous, neighbor to its west, Pakistan. Short range nuclear capable missiles, and perhaps some medium ranged missiles will do the trick for India in respect to Pakistan. Afghanistan is of concern to India but Afghanistan not a nuclear concern.

India needs an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against the aggressiveness of the CCP-PRC in the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

India has aligned itself against the aggressions and belligerence of the CCP-PRC in the South China Sea, by allying with Asean countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines, by joining with Japan in its island and territorial disputes initiated by Beijing, and in relation to new CCP-PRC naval and military facilities that form a "String of Pearls" around India from Iran along the Arabian Sea which adjoins the Indian Ocean, in Bangladesh, in Sri Lanka immediately south of India and in Burma/Myanmar.

Beijing and New Deli continue to have border disputes which include Beijing's claims to most of northern India.

India has determined it needs intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missiles because of the recent and increasing aggressions of the CCP-PRC. against it and against the entire Indo-Pacific strategic region.

Victory Without Bloodshed: Chinas India Strategy

Subduing India, preferably without striking a blow, remains a major Chinese policy objective.

Neither power is comfortable with the rise of the other.

Asia has never known a time when China and India were growing strong simultaneously, in such close proximity and with disputed frontiers and overlapping spheres of influence.

A 2012 Pew opinion poll showed that only 23 percent Chinese and Indians hold a favorable view of each other.

http://thediplomat.com/2013/08/20/victory-without-bloodshed-chinas-india-strategy/

From an American/western perspective it's a good thing that there are tensions between these two rising powers. Imagine the alternative; India and China teaming up...

I think all the chaos in the Middle East has been initiated by the west for the same reason. 'If they fight one another, they won't fight us.'

Yes, all the evidence says the United States and India are finding a lot in common in relation to the CCP-PRC and in respect to the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

It's much more the matter of the US and India working together strategically in the region. Which makes Beijing very unhappy.

Unlike during the Cold War, when India and the former Soviet Union were pals, the Indians have nothing in common with the PRChinese.

Now the world's most advanced and powerful democracy and the world's most populous democracy are finding common ground as, well, democracies.

The New Triangular Diplomacy: India, China and America at Sea

As both China and India rise as naval powers their interaction with the United States will truly be a defining feature in the Indo-Pacific region.

One of these important regional powers is India—the third largest economy in Asia, and the fourth biggest spender on defense in the Indo-Pacific after the United States, China and Japan.

India’s potential could contribute significantly to the new balance of power in Asia as recognized by both Washington and Beijing.

U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, was in Delhi last June declaring India as a "lynchpin" in the U.S. pivot to Asia.

http://thediplomat.com/2012/11/05/the-new-triangular-diplomacy-india-china-and-america-on-the-high-seas/

[mjef]

And yet it's Iran to be blamed and sanctioned...

[Credo]

How disingenuous to bring Iran into the discussion. I am pretty sure that's off-topic as well. India is and has been a nuclear power for quite some time. Iran, in theory, does not possess nuclear weapons. This is about a missile capable of launching nuclear weapons.

[mjef]

How disingenuous to bring Iran into the discussion. I am pretty sure that's off-topic as well. India is and has been a nuclear power for quite some time. Iran, in theory, does not possess nuclear weapons. This is about a missile capable of launching nuclear weapons.

Actually it's not too off-topic! I was thinking that obviously nobody (actually I don't mean TV members) blames India. They have it, they didn't make any commitment to any protocol, and now they're making missiles for it. So where is the US now? Or maybe EU? I mean how come they don't do anything to stop them?! Is it something in for the US maybe?!

[Credo]

The missile they tested is capable of reaching Bejing and Europe. No reason for the US to have much concern is there?

[mjef]

The missile they tested is capable of reaching Bejing and Europe. No reason for the US to have much concern is there?

Come on! By the US I mean Israel/US!!!

So any reaction from Europe?

[Credo]

The relationship between the US and India is reasonably strong and relatively stable, so there is no reason for the US to be concerned about this particular missile at this point in time. Israel is of virtually no interest to Indian. Pakistan is a much greater threat to Israel than India.

With Pakistan having nuclear weapons and China and with the possibility of Iran building them, I would guess that the US would say nothing and if it did say something, it would be boiler plate language which wouldn't amount to much.

The US is reassessing it's priorities and that assessment seems to be more in the area of the Pacific and there is a concern about Chinese aggression. India has it's own little battles with it's own neighbors. It's not a country looking to expand its borders at this time.

[NCC1701A]

i can't wait to see the movie...

[Publicus]

The relationship between the US and India is reasonably strong and relatively stable, so there is no reason for the US to be concerned about this particular missile at this point in time. Israel is of virtually no interest to Indian. Pakistan is a much greater threat to Israel than India.

With Pakistan having nuclear weapons and China and with the possibility of Iran building them, I would guess that the US would say nothing and if it did say something, it would be boiler plate language which wouldn't amount to much.

The US is reassessing it's priorities and that assessment seems to be more in the area of the Pacific and there is a concern about Chinese aggression. India has it's own little battles with it's own neighbors. It's not a country looking to expand its borders at this time.

Yes, Pakistan, the CCP-PRC and North Korea are a triumvirate of sorts that threatens India.

N Korea and Pakistan exchange nuclear technology. Beijing is a loyal ally of Pakistan and N Korea. Both Beijing and Karachi have different border disputes with India.

It may not seem directly related to the nuclear issue, but India forever made an enemy of Beijing 50 years ago when it granted asylum to the Dalai Lama, and has since granted asylum to any Tibetan who manages to cross over into India to escape Beijing's ruthless occupation of Tibet.

As to the West, neither Europe nor the US are going to get too concerned about themselves and an Indian intercontinental ballistic missile that carries a nuclear warhead. India has no beef with the West. India wants status and prestige in the strange way nuclear weapons provide, and wants protection against a rising aggressive CCP-PRC and its close friends Pakistan and N Korea.

It also wants a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, which the US supports. Many other countries, to include Japan and Brazil want permanent seats on the Council, but neither of the two, nor does any other aspirant such as Germany, have the overall heft and weight of India in its respective region and, increasingly, globally. None of the three are going to develop nuclear weapons which means they'll never have the clout of the nuclear powers.

India's new ballistic missile offensive capability now complements is existing missile defense system to make it a truly formidable military factor.

[NeverSure]

Pakistan's threats as perceived by India were instrumental in India's development of a nuclear weapons program.

However, India doesn't need an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against its hostile, contiguous, neighbor to its west, Pakistan. Short range nuclear capable missiles, and perhaps some medium ranged missiles will do the trick for India in respect to Pakistan. Afghanistan is of concern to India but Afghanistan not a nuclear concern.

India needs an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against the aggressiveness of the CCP-PRC in the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

-snip-

This can't be an intercontinetal ballistic missile (ICBM.) It's said to have a range of only 5,000 miles.

An ICBM is launched into space and into orbit. It can stay there until "ordered" to fire its reverse thrusters and slow enough that it will drop back to earth. They do the math and know exactly when and where to have it return. It can literally hit anything on the planet.

This new rocket sounds like a rocket that would hit China. Perhaps India's current rockets don't have that much range?

[BruceSmith]

i can't wait to see the movie...

Let’s hope there is a sequell too

[Publicus]

Pakistan's threats as perceived by India were instrumental in India's development of a nuclear weapons program.

However, India doesn't need an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against its hostile, contiguous, neighbor to its west, Pakistan. Short range nuclear capable missiles, and perhaps some medium ranged missiles will do the trick for India in respect to Pakistan. Afghanistan is of concern to India but Afghanistan not a nuclear concern.

India needs an intercontinental ballistic nuclear armed missile to defend itself against the aggressiveness of the CCP-PRC in the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

-snip-

This can't be an intercontinetal ballistic missile (ICBM.) It's said to have a range of only 5,000 miles.

An ICBM is launched into space and into orbit. It can stay there until "ordered" to fire its reverse thrusters and slow enough that it will drop back to earth. They do the math and know exactly when and where to have it return. It can literally hit anything on the planet.

This new rocket sounds like a rocket that would hit China. Perhaps India's current rockets don't have that much range?

Ah, yes, thanks.

The new Indian missile has a range of 5000 kilometers which converts to 3100 miles, which makes it capable of reaching Beijing and Shanghai.

Its strongest missile before this has a range of 3500 km or 2100 miles which falls short of either city.

The new Indian missile can carry a 1.5 ton nuclear warhead but, correct, it's not an ICBM. The CCP-PRC does have ICBMs (a fraction of those possessed by the US or Russia).

India has admitted it is suspicious of the new presence of CCP-PRC submarines in the Indian Ocean and the recently constructed CCP-PRC "String of Pearls" naval and military facilities along the Indian Ocean northern rim on either side of India, and immediately south of India on Sri Lanka.

Everyone knows of the presence of CCP-PRC submarines in the Indian Ocean (or anywhere) because they still make a lot of mechanical noise.

[noisyboy]

The relationship between the US and India is reasonably strong and relatively stable, so there is no reason for the US to be concerned about this particular missile at this point in time. Israel is of virtually no interest to Indian. Pakistan is a much greater threat to Israel than India.

You are correct about the post-Bush era of strengthening relationship between India and US. However, it is quite incorrect that Israel is of no interest to India.

Israel is of great interest to India - India is the largest buyer of security equipment from Israel. Israeli Ambassador Alon Ushpiz said his country follows a very strict guidelines in exporting weapons systems and there was no question of reversing its policy of not supplying military hardware to Pakistan - his quote "Very specifically we do not export weapons system to Pakistan. We have a very strict set of regulations for exporting. It is very very sophisticated process and different agencies are engaged in that. India is a close friend".

Edited September 16, 2013 by noisyboy

[Credo]

I stand by what I said. Israel is of no interest to India. India is neither going to defend nor attack Israel.

[Publicus]

I don't see why India might need, or want, a missile with a range of some 10,000 km away.

The Indian government may want to be able to reach North Korea with its missile nuclear capability, given N Korea is engaged in nuclear technology with Pakistan, and that Beijing and Pyongyang are nominal allies.

The missile India last week test launched, with its new range of 5000 km can reach Beijing and Shanghai. Now there's talk in India of this new missile capability which could reach N Korea.

While the planned Indian 10,000 km missile would be able to reach N Korea, it still may be a redundant system since the new missile can reach Beijing and Shanghai and because N Korea hasn't yet figured out how to build or attach a nuclear warhead to the dubious missiles N Korea also is testing.

In short, I don't think India needs to go head to head against Beijing in long range nuclear missile capability. But then I'm not an Indian either.

US cautions against arms race between India, China

US has cautioned against an arms race between India and China following a top Indian defence scientist’s claim that the country had the capabilities to build strategic missiles that could strike targets more than 10,000 km away.

A day later, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander declared that the country could build 10,000-km range ICBMs within two-and-a-half years, if required. Only five countries — the US, UK, Russia, France and China possess ICBM capability.

China is believed to have a nuclear arsenal of more than 55 strategic missiles. The 14,000-km range Dong Feng-31 Chinese missile can strike targets anywhere on the planet.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/US-cautions-against-arms-race-between-India-China/Article1-1124094.aspx

[Publicus]

Beijing is again talking out of both sides of its mouth.

First "local" press throughout the CCP-PRC criticized India for launching its new aircraft carrier warship. Then the national CCP criticizes the "local" media throughout the country and says the CCP-PRC and India are best friends.

With friends like that, who needs enemies?

China plays down India's launch of INS Vikrant

China has for the first time officially criticised their local media comments that said India’s recently-launched indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was targeted at the Communist country and would trigger an arms race.

But the country’s defence ministry quickly followed up the criticism by announcing that China would launch more aircraft carriers of its own to increase its current strength of one.

“China will comprehensively consider the development of aircraft carriers in accordance with the needs of national defense and military building,” Yang Yijun, national defence spokesperson, said at a press briefing on Thursday.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/RestOfAsia/China-plays-down-India-s-launch-of-INS-Vikrant/Article1-1114824.aspx?hts0021

[Publicus]

India's new missile project is but a part of its overall defense strategy in response to Beijing's recent belligerence and aggressiveness in making territorial claims in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and along the Tibet-India border, where Beijing provocatively claims that most of northern India belongs to Beijing.

India also is responding to Beijing's "String of Pearl" strategy, which is to place naval and military installations along the Arabian Sea and the northern Indian Ocean, to include Sri Lanka immediately south of India, as a way to encircle India with CCP-PRC naval and air force facilities.

When Beijing complains about an "anti-China" naval barrier being established by India with Asean countries, Beijing is right.

More importantly, India and Asean are right to establish a barrier against the CCP-PRC which wants to recreate the bygone past when China was the central power of Asia and all other countries were its tributary states. Because this is the modern world, Beijing has to learn that this ancient point of view is unrealistic.

India and Asean countries are peaceful democracies minding their own business. The CCP-PRC dictatorship however has come along to start making all kinds of wild territorial claims against its neighbors in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and in South Asia.

Never before have China and India risen to economic power simultaneously. While India and its allies are now democracies, Beijing continues in its ancient tradition of dictatorship and ethnocentrism.

Good for India and Asean.

India’s Quiet Counter-China Strategy

While publicly worrying over a Chinese ‘String of Pearls’ strategy, Indian military planners have been quietly boosting alliances in Asia.

Exercise Malabar, originally envisaged as a bilateral US-India venture, had already assumed a higher profile in 2007 when Singapore, Japan and Australia joined the manoeuvres in the Bay of Bengal, prompting Beijing to issue demarches to all five participating countries.

From China’s point of view, the coming together of these five countries marked the beginning of a loose anti-China naval barrier in the Indian Ocean region.

India is quietly reaching beyond major regional powers to put in place a more robust military-to-military partnership with key nations in South-east Asia – in the past eight months alone, India’s military leadership has made trips to Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

http://thediplomat.com/2011/03/16/india%e2%80%99s-quiet-counter-china-strategy-2

[Publicus]

India of course isn't only about nuclear weapons when it considers the new threats to it posed by a bellicose and belligerent CCP-PRC throughout the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

India and Asean are focused on one another in positive and peaceful ways in addition to creating new military ties and enhancing existing military and especially naval ties. Asean is feeling the heat from Beijing also.

According to Prashanth Parameswaran, who is a non-resident WSD-Handa fellow at the Pacific Forum of the Washington based Center for Strategic and International Studies,

The events this week are just latest signs of progress in the ASEAN-India relationship since it was elevated to the level of a “strategic partnership” last December at a special commemorative summit marking two decades of dialogue relations.

In 2013, cooperation in several functional areas has increased, including infrastructure connectivity under Brunei’s chairmanship of ASEAN, and the launch of the ASEAN-India Center in New Delhi in June, which will serve as a hub and resource center for policymakers, experts and think tankers interested in advancing the relationship.

These steps are geared toward realizing the plan of action to build an ASEAN-India partnership for peace, progress and shared prosperity by 2015, which also coincides with Southeast Asia’s own scheme to realize its ASEAN Community.

India-ASEAN Ties Get a (Limited) Boost

While all eyes will be on U.S.-India relations today when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, New Delhi has also seen some recent advances much closer to home in Southeast Asia.

Last week, in the realm of defense exchanges Vietnam’s Vice Minister of National Defense Do Ba Ty visited India, while Indian Navy Chief Admiral D K Joshi arrived in Malaysia for a five-day trip.

ASEAN-India economic and business ties also appeared to get a shot in the arm when the Exim Bank of India opened a branch in Myanmar on September 9, and progress was made on increasing cooperation between India’s Tata Group and two Southeast Asian-based airlines – AirAsia and Singapore Airlines.

People-to-people initiatives highlighting New Delhi’s historic cultural affinity to the region have also been in the limelight in recent weeks. Most prominently, this week the Indian embassy in Jakarta is holding a week-long festival to commemorate 100 years of Indian cinema.

http://thediplomat.com/the-pulse/2013/09/27/asean-india-ties-get-a-limited-boost/

[Publicus]

Mr. Singh Comes To Washington: India, China & The Pacific

Indian president Manhoman Singh and chiefs of Indian army and navy arrived in Washington Friday

The growing closeness of Washington and New Delhi is bad news for Beijing, whose leaders fear “encirclement” by hostile powers. Ironically, that fear may well become a self-fulfilling prophecy because of China’s own increasing aggressiveness towards its neighbors, from Japan to the Philippines to India itself.

Just this April, Chinese soldiers crossed into Indian-claimed territory in the Himalayas and camped out in Indian-claimed territory for three weeks. The move so thoroughly provoked Indian nationalists ahead of a visit by China’s new premier that some observers speculated PLA commanders were acting without Beijing’s approval, perhaps in a deliberate attempt to scuttle any Sino-Indian détente.

On the Indian side, just eight days ago, India staged a new test of its first ballistic missile with enough range to drop a nuclear warhead on Beijing, the Agni V, a weapon some Indian hawks have dubbed “the China-killer.”

http://breakingdefense.com/2013/09/23/mr-singh-comes-to-washington-india-china-pacific-strategy/

I need to point out that India has adopted a "Look East" policy which is a euphemism for the newly recognized need to Check China and Its Aggressions in the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

Starting two years ago a newly aggressive and bellicose CCP came out swinging against its neighboring countries, making outlandish and outrageous territorial claims against Japanese islands, of islands off Taiwan, claims that it possesses the entire South China Sea, and that much of northern India belongs to the CCP-PRC.

Beijing, in short, has made itself into the Neighbor from Hell. The trouble for Beijing however is that India owns the next biggest house, yard and family in the neighborhood. Now India is fast becoming head of the Neighborhood Defense Watch.

And India has consequently made new alliances with the United States, Japan, Asean, Australia.

India is constructing a huge naval and air base in the Andaman Islands off Phuket which will strategically position large and powerful Indian defense forces between the South Asian mainland and the entrance to the heavily traversed Strait of Malacca where oil tankers carry their cargo from the Middle East first to India and then through the Strait to the South China Sea and Australia, Asean countries, Taiwan, Japan.

India and its allied countries of the region are peaceful democracies that had been developing quietly and minding their own business when all of a sudden came the CCP and the raging PRChinese to make all kinds of belligerent and impudent territorial claims. Many strategists agree that the out of bounds claims by Beijing are, in reality, a plan and design to upset the status quo in the Indo-Pacific strategic region.

The Boyz in Beijing know that before they can become a global power, they must first become a regional power. Given the countries Beijing is causing to ally to defend against this, Beijing is being wholly unrealistic and has set out on a very dangerous fool's mission.

[Publicus]

India and America’s Growing Partnership

Although differences remain, an increasingly powerful and assertive China is pushing New Delhi and Washington closer together.

Countries in the region will have to develop a cohesive Asian strategy to deal with the challenge of Chinese assertiveness.

In contrast to many of the ASEAN powers, India and the U.S. seem to understand this reality. This is pushing them towards greater cooperation.

http://thediplomat.com/2012/09/03/view-from-delhi-the-us-rebalance/

India and the United States have been moving closer together during the past ten years, beginning with the Bush administration and now by the efforts of Prez Obama in his strategic "Pivot to the Pacific." A major reason however is that Beijing is pushing both Washington and New Delhi onto increasingly common ground.

Each India and the United States, separately, have supported the countries targeted by Beijing the past two years in Beijing's wild territorial assertions of sovereignty over lands or islands possessed by neighboring countries, to include Beijing's absurd claim to sovereignty over the entire South China Sea.

Each India and the United States are trying to maintain good bilateral relations with Beijing but are not getting much cooperation For instance, Beijing warned India not to side with the governments that are the targets of Beijing's bellicose territorial claims. This warning to India comes despite the fact last April Beijing temporarily sent a small detachment troops into northern India in support of its outrageous claim of sovereignty over much of northern India.

A short time later, Beijing issued the same warning to Washington after Washington announced its support of the Philippines taking its case against Beijing's bogus territorial claims over the West Philippines Sea to the UN Tribunal on the International Law of the Sea, where Beijing's claims are not doing well as the case progresses.

Beijing claims the United States is trying to contain the CCP-PRC in its new growth and expansionism. When one looks at Beijing's bold and blatant territorial claims of the past two years against its neighbors to the east and to the south, it becomes clear that Beijing is instead isolating and containing itself.

[Naam]

Why does a country that cannot even feed its own people or have a sanitary sewer system or burial system need nuclear weapons?

Because China and Pakistan have them. In particular, India and Pakistan are old, old enemies and regularly skirmish on the border in the Cashmere area. China and India are hardly best friends. "Walk softly and carry a big stick."

India already has nukes. I don't know what they have for missiles to carry them up until now.

India has a variety if missiles which can carry nuclear warheads reaching its archenemy Pakistan but not important targets in China. but whatever, it is a shame that a country that has a stone age infrastructure spends money on long range ballistic missiles.

[Publicus]

India and the Rise of the Indo-Pacific

India will need to demonstrate diplomatic skill in this emerging region. Working with Australia would be a good start.

From South to East Asia, trade has surged and, especially with the rise of Asian powers like China and India, the Indo-Pacific incorporates some of the busiest sea lanes in the world.

The rise in commerce creates political and strategic interests, along with concerns that these interests may be under threat with the rise of China and its assertive maritime behavior.

It is in fact these concerns that have helped encourage the emergence of the concept of an Indo-Pacific region, although at least two other factors are at play: the U.S. pivot to Asia and, more recently, direct mention and discussion of the concept in Australia’s Defence White Paper (2013).

http://thediplomat.com/2013/09/30/india-and-the-rise-of-the-indo-pacific/

The article above points out that, with the rise of a powerful and territorially aggressive CCP-PRC, the Indo-Pacific Oceans area has been transformed from a biogeographic region into a global geostrategic region.

This has occurred simply because India itself is developing and has a concomitant interest in the sea lanes for commerce, good relations with neighboring governments and with the peoples of neighboring countries, the international rule of law and much else that is of interest and concern to a developing economy.

And by its huge size - geographically,its population, its economy - India becomes a major player in the region and in the international system.

It's been noted that India and the CCP-PRC are rising simultaneously for the first time in history, but that, while India's rise is a peaceful one, the rise of the CCP-PRC is characterized by belligerence and bellicosity, all the way to a long standing border dispute between India and the CCP-PRC, over which the two fought a brief inconclusive war in 1962.

While India and the US are moving to closer cooperation in the face of new Beijing aggressions, the article above focuses on India's relationship with Australia. It also gives attention to India's relationship with Asean. India also has allied itself with Japan as Japan is forced by the CCP-PRC to resist Beijing's aggressions there too.