India have to import military equipment

A big reason is the over fondness of the army and the air-force with foreign made equipment. It is the one single reason that has held back the Indian military infrastructure back by a decade. Some prime examples of the damages caused by these:-

• Arjuna Tank

This tank would have been ready by the 90s had not the army suddenly decided it needed the Russian T-90s more. Had they been made then we'd be making tanks better than the T-90s ourselves by 2010 and the Leopards by now. The Arjun Mk II is now doubt a compensation but one hates to think what this tank could have been.

• INSAS rifle

Blame it on the army, the OFB , the Govt. but the fact that we sent a 2nd mission to moon and couldn't build a rifle, reeks of outright corruption. The Russians will get an order to build AK-203, the middle-men benefit, and the press cries INSAS was an inferior rifle.

• This plane is a prime example of subtle corruption and wanton neglect.

Every site is filled with articles saying it has this and that flaw. But what would you fly if your sellers declare war on you. HAL had readied this plane years ago, but some geniuses thought why go for a weaker indigenous plane if you can buy better ones.

The IAF is changing as its recent support to AMCA and Tejas Mk2 has shown.

Now compare the IAF and the army to our Navy. They didn't have the advantage of getting everything ready-made by foreigners so they invested in weaker ships at first and now this is what they have built indeginously.

INS KOLKATA, a stealth destroyer.

INS Vikrant

INS ARIHANT

INS Aridaman

[representational image]

The Navy did buy 6 scorpenes but not because it couldn't build them, but because of dire need. The Navy had to rejected the Naval Tejas for being heavy. But that issue has been solved.

Those in doubt must question themselves why products that can be bought are labelled inferior when made indeginously but those that cannot be bought from other countries are labelled world class, superior etc. E.g. ballistic missiles, ssbns etc.

So it is finally upto the Govt in power to decide whether they want to limp on foreign weapons forever or become a true superpower one day.