India is a large country with a population of 1.3 billion, and it is also a country with a "national brand library". India's armed forces are armed with all kinds of ** from all over the world, from Russian aircraft carriers to French warplanes, from American *** to Israeli missiles, and there is almost nothing that India cannot buy.
However, this is not because India has a strong military demand, but because India's own military manufacturing industry is simply too poor. India's domestically produced ** is not only of poor quality, but also often breaks down and accidents, bringing huge losses and shame to the Indian army and the country.
How bad is India's military manufacturing industry? And how did it lead to the predicament of the Indian army and the country? Let's take a look.
India's military manufacturing industry once had a glorious period, that is, in the sixties and seventies of the last century, India, with the help of the Soviet Union, established a number of military enterprises and research institutions, and successfully developed some domestic products, such as tanks, fighters, missiles, etc.
However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union and India's reform and opening up, India's military manufacturing industry gradually declined. India's military-industrial complex and research institutes lack innovation and competitiveness, are mired in bureaucracy and corruption, the quality of the production is constantly declining, and there are even some ridiculous jokes.
The most famous of these is India's aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, which was originally an aging Russian aircraft carrier that India bought for nearly $3 billion and spent nearly 10 years renovating before finally entering service in 2013.
However, this aircraft carrier has frequently had various problems since the beginning of its service, such as engine failures, fire accidents, crashes of carrier-based aircraft, etc., and has been called "the worst aircraft carrier in the world" by the outside world. In order to maintain this aircraft carrier, the Indian Navy had to spend a lot of manpower and material resources, and even sacrificed the lives of some officers and soldiers.
In addition to aircraft carriers, India's other domestically produced ** is also unsatisfactory. India's missile systems often go out of control and misfired, sometimes even threatening the security of neighboring countries. Indian guns and ammunition also often misfire and **, posing a great danger to Indian soldiers.
According to statistics, from 2014 to 2019, there have been 403 accidents within the Indian army because of ** ammunition. These accidents resulted in a total of 27 deaths and 146 injuries.
The reason why India's military manufacturing industry is so inefficient and low-quality is mainly because of the bureaucracy and corruption in India. India's military-industrial enterprises and research institutes lack effective oversight and incentives, and often only care about their own interests, regardless of the interests of the country. A case in point is India's Ordnance Factories Board (OFB), which is responsible for India's military production and procurement, but is often exposed to scandals and problems.
The downturn in India's military manufacturing industry has not only brought great trouble to the Indian army, but also brought a serious threat to the security and development of the Indian state.
India is a country with a strong dream of becoming a great power, and it wants to be able to exert greater influence internationally, especially in competition with China. In order to achieve this goal, India needs to have a strong army that can protect the interests and security of the country and also be able to demonstrate the country's strength and prestige.
However, India's own military manufacturing industry cannot meet the needs of the Indian army, and the Indian army can only rely on foreign equipment. Such an approach has not only brought a huge economic burden to India, but also brought huge political risks to India.
Economically, India spends tens of billions of dollars a year on imports from foreign countries**, which is an important part of India's national budget. India's defense spending is 2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).4%, one of the highest in the world. These funds, which could have been used for India's social development and improvement of people's livelihood, were used to buy foreign arms, which is undoubtedly a huge waste.
Politically speaking, India's imports from foreign countries** will also be subject to foreign influences and constraints. India's leading businessmen often use their military industrial superiority to exert pressure on India, asking India to align itself with them on some international issues, or to avoid conflict with them on some sensitive issues.
For example, India imports a large number of ** from the United States, such as F-16 fighters, Apache *** cruise missiles, etc., which makes India more dependent and subordinate in its relations with the United States. The United States will also take advantage of this and ask India to stand with the United States on some issues, such as sanctions against Iran and containment of China.
India's imports from foreign countries** will also affect the combat capability and efficiency of the Indian army. The Indian army is equipped with a variety of ** from different countries, which have great differences in technical standards, operating methods, maintenance requirements, etc., which has brought great difficulties to the training and coordination of the Indian army.
For example, the Indian Air Force's fighters include the Russian Su-30, the French Mirage 2000, the American F-16, etc., the performance and characteristics of these fighters are different, and the pilots and ground crews of the Indian Air Force must master different operation and maintenance skills, which undoubtedly increases their burden and risk.
Moreover, the best equipment of the Indian army often cannot be well adapted to the geographical and climatic conditions of India, such as plateaus, deserts, rainforests, etc., which will also affect the combat effectiveness of the Indian army. Sometimes, the Indian army even has serious accidents due to incompatible equipment, such as in January 2019, a Mirage 2000 fighter and a Su-30 fighter of the Indian Air Force collided in the air, killing two pilots.
The issue of the Indian army's equipment has also damaged India's image and reputation in the international community. India's military is often ridiculed by the outside world as a "national brand library", and is considered to be an army that has no independent ability and innovation ability, and will only rely on foreign arms. India's military has also often suffered losses in border clashes with neighboring countries, such as confrontations with China and exchanges of fire with Pakistan, which have also challenged India's national prestige.
The sorrow of India's military industry is not only the sorrow of the Indian army, but also the sorrow of the Indian state. The downturn in India's military manufacturing industry reflects the problems of India's social system and national governance, and also restricts India's development prospects.
If India wants to realize its dream of becoming a great power, it must reform and develop its own military manufacturing industry, improve its military strength and independent capabilities, and no longer rely on foreign equipment. In this way, India will have more voice and influence in the international community, and will be able to better protect its national interests and security.