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India.com
23-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Russia's role during India-Pakistan conflict very unlike decades old friendship as it remained silent during Operation Sindoor, should India...
Operation Sindoor: During Operation Sindoor, Russian weapons certainly forced Pakistan to kneel, but Moscow's silence has raised serious questions about Putin's policy in the world of diplomacy. Russia remained completely silent during India's Operation Sindoor, while China's tone was threatening towards India. China was indirectly aligned with Pakistan and it is believed that the Chinese provided assistance in networking and electronic warfare to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Additionally, China had also supplied the PL-15 missile to Pakistan just before the conflict with India, which was used against India. Therefore, questions are being raised about how China is positioned with Pakistan; will it openly become an ally of Pakistan during future wars? Should India now prepare for a 'two front war' in any case? Russia's role during Operation Sindoor Questions are being raised over Russia's silence during the India-Pakistan conflict since it has always been a tested and reliable partner for India. Analysts are doubtful about the relationship between Moscow and New Delhi due to its silence. Is it because Russia is burdened by China's favours in the Russia-Ukraine war? Whenever Pakistan has forced war, India has faced it alone every time, except in 1971, when Russia stood in support of India while China has not been able to directly stand with Pakistan for several reasons, it has continued to provide support internally. Thus, for India, Chinese assistance to Pakistan is not a new thing. Challenge of Two Front War In a report by Eurasian Times, geopolitical defense expert Prakash Nanda has stated that India has always faced the challenge of 'Two Front War' in every war against Pakistan. From a strategic standpoint, there are two types of 'Two Front War' situations: first, to covertly support as an ally, and second, direct confrontation. After Operation Sindoor, the meaning of 'Two Front War' has changed, and the likelihood of China directly participating in the next war has increased significantly, as China has realized that Pakistan is incapable of confronting India alone under any circumstances. Therefore, China, which has so far been providing covert support to Pakistan against India through moral, political, and military assistance, may soon openly become Pakistan's war partner against India. This topic does not feature Russia at all. 1971 Indo-Pak war During the 1971 war, when the Bangladesh liberation struggle was underway, China took Pakistan's side against India and harshly criticized Russia for supporting Delhi. China, while supporting Pakistan, accused India and Russia of 'expansionism' and promised to defend Pakistan's 'sovereignty' and had called Russian assistance 'shameful'. Russia, under Vladimir Putin, appears to have deviated from the decades old friendship with India which started during the intensity of the Cold War when Russia was part of the Soviet Union, or (officially) the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The first and only Indian to travel to space in 1984, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, Ashoka Chakra, flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984. He also received the title of 'Hero of the Soviet Union' for the same feat. Things now just don't look the same. It all boils down to the reality that India must be prepared for the challenge of a 'two-front' war at all costs on its own and keep its military, diplomatic, and cyber capabilities ready accordingly. India must fight all battles on its own without expecting any help from Russia or the United States.
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First Post
08-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
India's Rafale vs Pakistan's F-16: With air prowess in spotlight, how the fighter jets compare
India, during Operation Sindoor, used its Rafale jets armed with Scalp (Storm Shadow) missiles and armed with Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (Hammer) precision bombs to hit nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. If Pakistan retaliates, the Rafale fighters will be up against the F-16s. But how do the two fighter planes compare? read more The French Dassault Rafale aircraft is an integral part of India's fighter jet fleet. Firstpost India has launched precision strikes on Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response for the Pahalgam attack. 'Operation Sindoor' targeted nine locations – in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal. India used its Rafale jets armed with Scalp (Storm Shadow) missiles and armed with Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (Hammer) precision bombs. These jets were up against the Pakistan's F-16s. But how do the fighter jets compare? The basics India's Rafale jets are made by France's Dassault Aviation. Pakistan's F-16s, also known as the Fighting Falcons, was developed by General Dynamics. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They are manufactured by US weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin. While the Rafale jets are 4.5 generation machines, the F-16s are fourth-generation fighters. The Rafale is powered by twin engines, while the F-16 is a single-engine craft. Electronics and weapons As per Wion, Rafale jets have low radar observability because of their semi-stealth airframe. They also come equipped with an advanced AESA radar (RBE2-AA). As mentioned earlier, the Rafale jets are equipped with the Scalp (Storm Shadow) missiles and Hammer bombs. As per India Today, the Rafale jets also come with 13 India-specific improvements. The Rafale jet is a 4.5 generation fighter plane. IAF This includes the Meteor beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile, advanced electronic warfare suites, and superior radar and communication systems. As per Wion, Rafale's SPECTRA EW suite is among the best in its class. It comes with active jamming, threat identification, radar decoys, and countermeasures against surface-to-air missiles and enemy radar. As per Eurasian Times, the system can spot 40 targets at a range of 145 kilometres. The system can also jam and copy enemy radar – making it harder for the F-16s to get a read on it. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Indian Rafale fighters are also being equipped with the X-Guard fiber-optic towed decoy system – which allows them to dodge both air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. The F-16s come equipped with AIM-120C5 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) missiles and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). Which fighter is better? The Rafale is undoubtedly the superior fighter. While the F-16s' AMRAAM worried India initially, the arrival of the Rafale with the BVR missile completely upended their advantage. As Eurasian Times notes, the Rafale dominates the F-16 in BVR combat. The Rafale's Meteor has the biggest 'no-escape zone'— the area in which the target cannot either avoid getting hit or the likelihood of a death shot is extremely high. The Meteor has a range of 120 kilometres compared to the AMRAAMs 100 kilometres. While the F-16 is great in dogfights thanks to its lighter airframe and high thrust-to-weight ratio, closing the distance for the F-16s will be a big challenge. The Rafale's manouverability and system also gives it an advantage when the encounter is drawn out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Rafale's electronics and stealth also gives it a huge advantage over the F-16. The advanced AESA radar also lets the Rafale have the first-shot capability over the F-16s. India Today also pointed out that Pakistan faces numerous challenges when it comes to maintaining its aging fleet of F16s. The fleet, around 75 fighters, faces maintenance challenges due to Pakistan's financial issues and strict US rules on them being used purely in a defensive capacity. India, on the other hand, has no such constraints with its Rafale fighters. The Rafale and F-16 have never come up against each other barring in NATO exercises, as per Eurasian Times. Little wonder then that the eyes of the world are on the clash between the two jets. With inputs from agencies
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First Post
05-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Is Turkey at its anti-India moves again?
The arrival of a Turkish warship in Karachi and reports of military cargo flights have intensified scrutiny of Turkey-Pakistan defence ties, prompting calls in India for a reassessment of bilateral relations and tougher diplomatic measures read more Days after several media reports suggested Turkey has delivered six planeloads of weapons to Pakistan, the arrival of a Turkish naval vessel in Karachi has sparked concerns in India, highlighting Ankara's increasingly close defence ties with Islamabad. Although Turkey denied supplying weapons to Pakistan, the docking of the vessel in Pakistan's port city has added to growing unease in New Delhi. According to multiple media report, Turkish C-130 Hercules transport planes carrying military cargo reportedly landed in Pakistan last month. The development came at a time when India has vowed a harsh response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'A cargo plane from Turkiye landed in Pakistan for refuelling. It then continued on its route. Speculative news made outside of statements of authorised persons and institutions should not be relied upon,' Daily Sabah quoted the Presidency's Directorate of Communications as saying. The aircraft in question was spotted flying over the Arabian Sea on April 28, sparking speculation that it was part of a last-minute arms delivery from one of Islamabad's key allies. The theory gained traction after flight tracking data from open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources surfaced online. However, Ankara dismissed the claims, insisting the landing was part of a routine operation. Meanwhile, the presence of a Turkish naval vessel in Karachi, details of which remain scarce, is being interpreted by analysts as part of a growing pattern of deepening military ties between Turkey and Pakistan. Turkey is fast emerging as the second-largest supplier of arms to Pakistan, trailing only China, a development that has not gone unnoticed in New Delhi. Ankara has maintained that it supports peace in the region, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently calling for 'de-escalation' between India and Pakistan. 'We want the escalating tensions between Pakistan and India to be de-escalated as soon as possible, before they evolve into a more serious situation,' said Erdogan in a statement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, Turkey's actions — particularly on defence cooperation — appear to contradict those words. Turkey and Pakistan have maintained a long-standing strategic partnership, with defence cooperation forming a key pillar of their bilateral ties. In 2021, the two countries signed an agreement to expand collaboration through joint arms production. Turkey has since emerged as Pakistan's second-largest arms supplier after China. According to Eurasian Times, citing the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 10% of Turkey's total arms exports between 2020 and 2024 were directed to Pakistan. Reports also suggest that the two countries are working together to establish a joint facility for manufacturing Turkish-designed fighter jets. Notably, Turkey was the sole member among the 39 states of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to support Pakistan's removal from the grey list in 2020. Their alliance extends beyond defence, with Turkey consistently advocating for Pakistan's position on Kashmir, while Islamabad has reciprocated by backing Ankara's claims on Cyprus. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Turkish government has denied any hostile intent, but its expanding defense ties with Pakistan and repeated references to the Kashmir issue at international forums have fueled skepticism in India. With Ankara's geopolitical ambitions growing and Pakistan leaning heavily on military partnerships, observers warn that this could further strain already frosty India-Turkey relations. Amid growing tensions, former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal suggested suspending flights between India and Turkey as reports of Turkish military cargo aircraft landing in Pakistan sparked outrage across Indian strategic circles. Voicing his concerns on X, Sibal said, 'We can consider suspending our flights to Turkey and Turkish flights to India for the time being.' We can consider suspending our flights to Turkey and Turkish flights to India for the time being. — Kanwal Sibal (@KanwalSibal) April 28, 2025 Noted journalist Vikram Chandra questioned why Indians continue to use Istanbul as a transit point and suggested India should instead build relations with Turkey's key regional rival Greece 'I fail to understand why Indians travel to Europe via Istanbul! Along with China, Turkey is the one solid and constant supporter of Pakistan - and always has been. India should instead build relations with Turkey's key regional rival Greece. It's strange that there are so many direct flights to Istanbul and none to Athens,' Business Today quoted Chandra as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Security analyst Sushant Sareen warned that India was not learning from history. 'India's friends and enemies are identifying themselves. China, Turkey, Azerbaijan are clearly on the Paki side. Ideally, there should be costs for doing this but India will reward them with fatter trade deals and defence contracts; Israel is probably the only country with India,' Sareen posted. India's friends and enemies are identifying themselves. China, Turkey, Azerbaijan are clearly on the Paki side. Ideally, there should be costs for doing this but India will reward them with fatter trade deals and defence contracts; Israel is probably the only country with India.… — sushant sareen (@sushantsareen) April 28, 2025 He said every other country - US, EU, UK, even Russia, were hedging. 'But yeah Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Basically we are a people who refuse to learn from history.' Several commentators called for a boycott of Turkish tourism and airlines. Pawan Durani wrote, 'Six military planes allegedly carrying missiles have been sent by Turkey to Pakistan. How many shameless Indians are gonna travel to Turkey for holidays?' Durani also reminded Indians about the goodwill extended to Turkey after its devastating earthquake in 2023. 'How many of you remember 'Operation Dost', where within one hour of earthquake in Turkey, India was the first country to send relief teams. Snakes…' he posted. Geopolitical commentator and author Swasti Rao said it was important that India notices Turkey's role. 'Good to see that Turkish C130 Hercules transport aircraft with Military Cargo landing in Pakistan is being noticed in India. Turkey has been arming Pakistan, with an openly anti-India rhetoric,' Rao wrote on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD She added, 'We usually only discuss #China.' Rao also flagged that Turkey was arming Bangladesh, calling the situation 'worrying' and tagging the Prime Minister's Office and Defence Ministry. With inputs from agencies
India.com
04-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Japan makes MASSIVE move, sends proposal for 6th generation fighter jet program to India, Pakistan to face..., what is GCAP?
Image for representational purposes Tokyo: Japan has finally sent a proposal to India for participation in the sixth-generation fighter aircraft project. Kyodo News Agency has reported that Japan has reportedly reached out to India to join the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a fighter jet program led by Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy. The main aim behind the project is to develop sixth-generation fighter jets. A Japanese government source provided this information on April 30. The proposal aims to reduce the costs involved in manufacturing sixth-generation fighter aircraft. Eurasian Times has reported that besides aiming to reduce costs, Japan sees itself as a key Asian player in promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region and is seeking to deepen security ties with India. As per a Japanese news agency, Japanese officials visited India in February, where they informed Indian authorities about the Japan–UK–Italy 'Global Combat Air Program (GCAP)' and proposed India's participation in it. The report notes that the Modi government, having launched the 'Make in India' initiative to promote domestic manufacturing, has shown strong interest in the Japanese proposal. However, neither side has officially confirmed the proposal yet. What is the GCAP Sixth-Generation Fighter Jet Program? Last year, the leaders of Japan, the UK, and Italy met and decided to expand the GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme) by including more countries in the initiative. The project was launched in 2022 with the goal of developing sixth-generation fighter jets. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate the GCAP program by strengthening their current partnership. Under this project, the design phase is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Italy's Leonardo, and the United Kingdom's BAE Systems are leading the project as system integrators. However, developing an advanced fighter jet is extremely challenging and requires a massive financial investment, which is proving difficult for these three countries. As a result, they have agreed to include a new partner. India could become a key partner in this effort. Initially, Japan was hesitant about including India due to the presence of the Russian S-400 air defense system, but now Japan is ready. Which countries might be included in GCAP? In November 2023, Sweden withdrew from this project. There are now discussions about Saudi Arabia joining. In March 2023, Saudi Arabia had prematurely announced its participation in GCAP. But later, questions arose regarding its eligibility. In September 2023, a British official expressed hope about Saudi Arabia rejoining. Japan has reportedly opposed the Kingdom's entry and has emphasized that any new partner must receive unanimous approval from the existing three members—Britain, Japan, and Italy. Germany has also emerged as an unexpected candidate for potential participation in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chinese aggression escalates in disputed PMZ waters
China is now stepping up its game in the Yellow Sea by constructing a massive steel rig, following similar aggressive posturing in the South China Sea. This development has become a fresh source of conflict between China and South Korea. The Eurasian Times reported that Korean ships attempted to examine the steel structure, leading to a recent standoff between the coast guards of the two nations. According to diplomatic sources cited by South Korean news agency Yonhap, the two coast guards were at odds for two hours. The Eurasian Times reported that the altercation occurred on the afternoon of February 26 in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ), close to Socotra Rock , southwest of Jeju Island in South Korea. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Transform Your Child's Confidence with Our Public Speaking Program Planet Spark Book Now Undo The PMZ is a jointly administered area in the Yellow Sea--referred to as the West Sea in Korea--where South Korea's and China's exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap. The South Korean research ship Onnuri was sent by the government to inspect the structure, but it was blocked by Chinese coast guard vessels and civilian boats, mirroring tactics reportedly used against the Philippine Coast Guard. A two-hour standoff followed after Seoul dispatched a coast guard ship to the location. South Korea asserted that its inspection was legitimate, but China countered by claiming the structure was an aquafarm and requested the Korean ship to leave. Live Events South Korea responded to the incident by summoning a representative of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul to lodge a formal protest. According to recent satellite imagery, China has constructed several large steel platforms within the PMZ. The Eurasian Times noted that the PMZ was established under a 2000 agreement that permits fishing and transit until a final maritime boundary is agreed upon. One of the installations is a 71.5-metre-tall underwater marine cage named Shen Lan 2 Hao (also known as Deep Blue 2), intended for salmon farming. The massive cage and its jack-up support equipment have sparked concern in South Korea. The Eurasian Times reported that the Korean government maintains the right to inspect the structure under the 2001 Korea-China Fisheries Agreement . The Eurasian Times further stated that South Korea claims the structure was installed without permission or prior notification. China had previously set up similar platforms in the area, but they were dismantled after protests from Seoul. The latest installation, featuring three long legs that anchor to the sea floor, signals growing Chinese involvement in the disputed region.
