As India stands upto Chinese aggression at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, and considers military pushback against the Dragon in case things escalate, New Delhi’s defence allies are pitching in with arms and ammunition.
Early deliveries are coming India’s way from its key military equipment suppliers- Russia, the United States, France and Israel.
In what is going to bolster the Indian Air Force (IAF) capabilities several times over, France has promised to deliver Rafale, the 4.5 generation fighter aircraft manufactured by Dassault next month.
The fighter jet will become the mainstay of the Indian Air Force. These fighter jets will be equipped with what could be the world’s best long-range air-to-air missiles giving the IAF a definite advantage over the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force.
India’s strategic partner, Israel is also going to supply an in-service air defence system. This is reminiscent of the Kargil war in 1999, when the Jewish country had provided laser-guided missiles for the Mirage 2000H fighters of the Indian Air Force (IAF). India was able to win the air war due to Israeli help and provide crucial air support to its ground troops.
Russia and the United States too have come to India’s help amidst soaring tensions between New Delhi and Beijing.
Ladakh standoff: India's allies pitching in with weapons, ammunition.
Additional Rafales from France next month
$ 1 billion worth emergency ammo, ATGMs, MANPADs from Russia
In service SAM system from Israel
Excalibur, intelligence from the US
https://t.co/TwWyy9ibRj pic.twitter.com/AP5Qve2i0A— Manu Pubby (@manupubby) June 29, 2020
Russia will supply one billion US dollars-worth of ammunition, Anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and Man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS).
Washington will also deliver precision artillery rounds- an important factor in high-altitude warfare in case of limited theatre conflict between India and China.
These precision artillery rounds with a range of 40 kilometres are used in a number of artillery guns in the Indian inventory, including the towed M777 Howitzers that use 155mm artillery piece. The additional Excalibur artillery rounds have of course been ordered on emergency basis.
These artillery rounds are dead accurate and carry potential to cause vast devastation. Unlike Chinese arms and ammunition, this is reliable ammunition which has been tried and tested by the Indian Army.
The United States is also going to share vital intelligence and satellite imagery which will lend greater clarity to India’s military planners regarding China’s moves on its side of the LAC. Washington has also asked New Delhi to share a list of all requirements, and has committed to supply them at the earliest.
We already know that Indian soldiers are battle-hardened especially when it comes to high-altitude warfare, while the PLA troops are inexperienced “little emperors”. On June 15, the soldiers of Indian Army’s Bihar Regiment inflicted heavy casualties on the PLA in a hand-to-hand combat despite being outnumbered.
Now, with battle-tested weapons and equipment coming from the US, Russia and Israel, apart from the cutting-edge Rafale jets, India has clear advantage over China. China is already engaged on multiple fronts, and if things move to an armed confrontation, it would mark the end of Chinese hegemony in the present world order.