India has taken steps to modernize its military and reduce its dependence on the United States

Washington:

Noting that India has demonstrated its status as a global leader, a senior U.S. Defense Department intelligence official told Congress that by 2023, India will take steps to modernize its military to compete with China and reduce its reliance on Russian equipment.

Lieutenant General Jeffrey Crews said: “Over the past year, India has demonstrated its status as a global leader by hosting the G20 Economic Summit and demonstrated a greater willingness to stand up to the People’s Republic of China. activities throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency told members of the House Armed Services Committee (Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations) during a congressional hearing on defense intelligence on countering China.

He said India has advanced partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region with South China Sea claimants such as the Philippines and deepened cooperation with the United States, Australia, France and Japan through training and defense sales.

“In 2023, India took steps to modernize its military to compete with China and reduce its reliance on Russian equipment. India conducted sea trials of its first domestically produced aircraft carrier and entered into discussions with several Western countries on the transfer of key defense technologies. negotiations,” Cruz said.

“By 2024, New Delhi is likely to focus on securing national parliamentary elections, sustaining economic growth and building on the ‘Make in India’ initiative as part of its military modernization efforts aimed at countering Beijing,” he told TOI. legislator.

Bilateral relations between India and China remain tense after the Galwan clashes in 2020 that left 20 Indian soldiers and at least five People’s Liberation Army soldiers dead. In October 2023, senior officers of India and the People’s Liberation Army failed to resolve the dispute over the two remaining confrontation sites in eastern Ladakh during the 20th round of talks. Cruz told lawmakers that both sides have about 50,000-60,000 troops stationed in the area and continue to improve military infrastructure near the border.

India remains neutral on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia remains India’s most important defense partner and New Delhi continues to procure weapons from Moscow, such as the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, even as New Delhi looks to diversify its defense procurement partnerships,” Cruz said.

Regarding Pakistan, Cruz told lawmakers that Pakistan has sought international support, including from the United Nations Security Council, to resolve its dispute with India over Kashmir. Separately, Islamabad and New Delhi have maintained an uneasy ceasefire since February 2021 along the Line of Common Control.

“Despite economic turmoil, Pakistan has persisted in its nuclear modernization efforts. Terrorist violence against Pakistani security forces and civilians also increased last year,” Cruise said.

In 2023, militants killed about 400 security force personnel, a nine-year high, and Pakistani security forces have conducted counter-terrorism operations almost every day over the past year.

Cruz said Pakistan’s contentious relationship with India continues to drive its defense policy. However, he said cross-border violence between the two countries had decreased since the ceasefire was recommitted in February 2021.

“Islamabad is modernizing its nuclear arsenal and improving the security of its nuclear material and nuclear C2. In October, Pakistan successfully tested the Ababell medium-range ballistic missile,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)