By June 2022, India intends to deploy the S-400 missile protection system that it has obtained from Russia to defend itself in opposition to menace from Pakistan and China, a Pentagon spymaster has advised US lawmakers.
India began receiving the supply of the S-400 missile protection system from Russia in December final 12 months, Lt Gen Scott Berrier, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency advised members of the Senate Armed Services Committee throughout a current Congressional listening to.
As of October 2021, India’s navy was looking for to acquire superior surveillance techniques to strengthen its land and sea borders and enhance its offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.
“In December, India received its initial delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense system, and it intends to operate the system to defend against Pakistani and Chinese threats by June 2022,” Berrier mentioned.
“India continued to develop it is personal hypersonic, ballistic, cruise, and air protection missile capabilities, conducting a number of checks in 2021. India has a rising variety of satellites in orbit, and it’s increasing its use of house property, doubtless pursuing offensive house capabilities , he mentioned.
Berrier advised lawmakers that New Delhi is pursuing an intensive navy modernization effort encompassing air, floor, naval, and strategic nuclear forces with an emphasis on home protection manufacturing.
India is taking steps to determine Integrated Theater Commands that can enhance its joint functionality amongst its three navy companies.
Since 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given precedence to strengthening India’s financial system by increasing its home protection trade, and establishing a damaging import checklist to curtail protection purchases from overseas suppliers.
“India’s longstanding protection relationship with Russia stays robust, holding their first ‘2+2′ format talks in December — a joint overseas and protection ministerial that India beforehand solely held with the United States, Japan, and Australia.
“India has maintained a neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continues to call for peace,” Berrier advised the lawmakers.
According to Barrier, all through 2021, New Delhi continued to implement overseas coverage aimed toward demonstrating India’s position as a number one energy and internet supplier of safety within the Indian Ocean area.
India seeks to advertise prosperity and guarantee stability within the Indo-Pacific area by looking for strategic partnerships to construct affect via bilateral and multilateral mechanisms such because the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he mentioned.
“New Delhi seeks to deepen intelligence and operational cooperation on cybersecurity, protect critical information infrastructure, prevent adversary manipulation of public opinion, and to create standards and norms that protect and secure data governance,” he added.
Following the collapse of the Afghan authorities, New Delhi is more and more involved about potential assaults in opposition to India by terrorist teams reminiscent of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed — empowered by a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, he mentioned.
The evacuation of Indian personnel from Afghanistan degraded its assets to watch potential threats and domesticate affect over regional stability, he mentioned.
“Despite recommitting to the 2003 cease-fire, India stays postured to answer perceived militant threats, and it has continued counterterrorism operations inside Indian-administered Kashmir. Occasional skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops will proceed, and a high-profile assault in India by Pakistan-based terrorists dangers an Indian navy response,” he mentioned.
Berrier mentioned that Chinese-Indian relations stay strained following the deadly clashes in summer time 2020 between their respective forces alongside the Western sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
During 2021, each side held a number of rounds of high-level diplomatic and navy talks that resulted in a mutual pullback of forces from a number of standoff factors. However, each side preserve near 50,000 troops together with artillery, tanks, and a number of rocket launchers, and each are constructing infrastructure alongside the LAC, he mentioned.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
