India has maintained its impartial stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Representational)
Washington:
India in 2023 showcased itself as a worldwide chief because it demonstrated a better willingness to counter China’s exercise all through the Indo-Pacific area and took steps to modernise its army and scale back its dependency on Russian origin-equipment, the highest US intelligence official has advised Congress.
The remarks by Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse, Director of the Defence Intelligence Company got here throughout a Congressional listening to on defence intelligence countering China. “Throughout the previous 12 months, India has showcased itself as a worldwide chief by internet hosting the Group of 20 financial summit and demonstrated a better willingness to counter PRC’s (Individuals’s Republic of China) exercise all through the Indo-Pacific area,” Kruse advised members of the Home Armed Companies Committee – the subcommittee on intelligence and particular operations.
India, he mentioned, has superior partnerships within the Indo-Pacific with regional South China Sea claimants, such because the Philippines, by way of coaching and defence gross sales and deepening cooperation with the US, Australia, France and Japan.
China claims a lot of the South China Sea as its personal, whereas The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the maritime space.
“In 2023, India took steps to modernise its army to compete with China and scale back its dependency on Russian-origin gear. India performed sea trials for its first domestically produced plane provider and likewise has negotiated with a number of Western nations on the switch of key defence applied sciences,” Mr Kruse mentioned.
India has maintained its impartial stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia stays India’s most substantial defence companion and New Delhi continues to amass weapons from Moscow, such because the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, regardless of New Delhi’s need to diversify its defence acquisition partnerships, Mr Kruse mentioned.
“In 2024, New Delhi in all probability will concentrate on securing its nationwide parliamentary elections, sustaining financial development, and constructing on its ‘Make in India’ initiative as a part of its army modernisation effort — which is geared toward countering Beijing,” he advised the lawmakers.
Bilateral relations between India and China stay tense following the 2020 Galwan conflict that killed 20 Indian troopers and not less than 5 PLA (Individuals’s Liberation Military) troopers.
In October 2023, senior Indian and PLA officers did not resolve disputes in regards to the two remaining standoff places in japanese Ladakh throughout their twentieth spherical of talks. Each side preserve roughly 50,000-60,000 troops within the space and proceed to enhance their army infrastructure close to the border, Kruse advised the lawmakers.
On Pakistan, Kruse advised lawmakers that it has sought worldwide assist, together with from the UN Safety Council, to resolve its dispute with India about Kashmir. Individually, Islamabad and New Delhi have maintained an uneasy ceasefire alongside the shared Line of Management since February 2021.
“Pakistan has sustained its nuclear modernisation efforts regardless of its financial turmoil. Terrorist violence towards Pakistani safety forces and civilians additionally rose final 12 months,” Mr Kruse mentioned.
In 2023, militants killed roughly 400 safety forces, a nine-year excessive, and Pakistani safety forces have performed nearly each day counterterrorism operations through the previous 12 months.
Pakistan’s contentious relationship with India continues to drive its defence coverage, Mr Kruse mentioned. Nonetheless, cross-border violence between the nations has decreased since their February 2021 recommitment to a ceasefire, he mentioned.
“Islamabad is modernising its nuclear arsenal and bettering the safety of its nuclear supplies and nuclear C2. In October, Pakistan efficiently examined its Ababeel medium-range ballistic missile,” he mentioned.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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