Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Afghanistan sends India a weapons wish-list ahead of NATO withdrawal

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Afghanistan sends India a weapons wish-list ahead of NATO withdrawal

    Afghanistan has handed an armaments wish-list over to New Delhi ahead of the 2014 NATO drawdown from that country.
    It includes as many as 150 battle tanks, 120 (105 mm) field guns, a large number of 82 mm mortars, one medium lift transport aircraft (AN-32), two squadrons of medium lift and attack helicopters, and a large number of trucks.
    The Afghanistan government has sought military and civilian support from India as part of its strategy to scale up its armoury. Afghanistan has also sought allied paraphernalia for training, maintenance and upkeep of the equipment from India.
    Afghanistan army wish list

    Highly-placed sources in the government have said the Afghanistan army also wants New Delhi to set up a military training facility for its officers and soldiers in Afghanistan and provide a training team immediately.
    The Afghan army men will be trained in English language, counter insurgency operations, ordnance-weapons and vehicle repairs.
    India is also providing $2bn to Afghanistan for its infrastructure development projects, including construction of dams, roads, bridges, Parliament, schools, hospitals and training facilities.
    "India is working very closely with the US, Russia and several other countries on Afghanistan post- 2014 drawdown and all like-minded powers have one goal. Afghanistan cannot be permitted to slide back into the tumultuous days of Taliban. An effort is being made to synchronize the rebuilding effort," sources said.
    In a powerful signal to India, Afghanistan has turned down Pakistan's offer to train their service personnel and a generous line of credit to take "what they want" from Pakistan ordnance factories.
    "Pakistan's powerful Army Chief General Ashfq Pervez Kayani had visited Afghanistan and offered to train the Afghanistan Army - both officers and men. One officer even attended the Command and Staff College in Quetta but in his assessment report after the course said officers in future should be sent to Staff College, Wellington (India)," sources said.
    More than 400 Afghan army officers have undergone training at National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakvasla, Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun and Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai in the past three years alone. A total of 1,200 Afghan National Army officers have been trained by India.
    "Back in Afghanistan, they proudly wear the NDA, IMA & OTA insignia on their uniform. Though the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has set up a training base for Afghan officers and enlisted men in Afghanistan itself, communication remains an issue. Therefore, they prefer to undergo training in India. We give pre-commission training to 50 officers every year. The cadets undergo an examination similar to Services Selection Board (SSB) in Kabul itself," sources said

    Afghanistan sends India a weapons wish-list ahead of NATO withdrawal | Mail Online


    there are reports that we will only give light military equipment to afganistan because of pakistani appeasement policy of our current government.I would like a debate on this bit that what is the req for that appeasement
    Last edited by prash; 22 Nov 13,, 16:30.

  • #2
    Interesting. I just assumed they would buy Western, like Iraq did; but I suppose it makes a little more sense to buy "locally", even if they are Russian products. Plus, I bet they're a lot cheaper than AH-64's & M-1's!
    "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

    Comment


    • #3
      Cheaper and India has an interest to supply them in the long term.

      But they must be sending lists like this to many countries.

      Comment


      • #4
        Not just cheaper, but political and strategic as well. Russia is fickle, Pakistan is an enemy. That leaves India and Iran, both being good choices.

        Comment


        • #5
          It's not possible to send arms because it is landlocked between hostile states. More importantly, afghanistan has no future because of its internal civil war which enables foreign states to meddle in its affairs. It'll remain a buffer zone for a long time to come.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by anil View Post
            It's not possible to send arms because it is landlocked between hostile states. More importantly, afghanistan has no future because of its internal civil war which enables foreign states to meddle in its affairs. It'll remain a buffer zone for a long time to come.
            we send stuff through iran presumably considering we just constructed/ing a railway line from an iranian port all the way to afganistan which has led afganistan to show pakistan the finger on the latters threat of closing the border and thus suffocation afganistan.


            post edit : India is constructing a 900-km railway line that will connect Chabahar port in Iran, being built with Indian help, to the mineral-rich Hajigak region of Afghanistan.
            Last edited by prash; 23 Nov 13,, 13:33.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by anil View Post
              It's not possible to send arms because it is landlocked between hostile states. More importantly, afghanistan has no future because of its internal civil war which enables foreign states to meddle in its affairs. It'll remain a buffer zone for a long time to come.
              What can India gain strategically from Afghanistan being landlocked?. What is it that it can trade for?

              Seems like a big waste of time and who wants to piss of those Talibans?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by winton View Post
                What can India gain strategically from Afghanistan being landlocked?. What is it that it can trade for?
                Two words. Pakistan. Minerals.

                Seems like a big waste of time and who wants to piss of those Talibans?
                Just wow!
                No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

                To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Doktor, Afghanistan is way too unstable. I'd bet my entire stash of gold coins that the tanks won't even get fuelled more than a few times. I wouldn't be surprised if some disappear.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by chanjyj View Post
                    Doktor, Afghanistan is way too unstable. I'd bet my entire stash of gold coins that the tanks won't even get fuelled more than a few times. I wouldn't be surprised if some disappear.
                    Not in disagreement there, chanjyj.

                    I was merely replying what would be the Indian interest.

                    BTW, A-stan wants gifts or to buy those thingies?
                    No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

                    To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Doktor View Post
                      BTW, A-stan wants gifts or to buy those thingies?
                      gifts

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by winton View Post
                        Seems like a big waste of time and who wants to piss of those Talibans?
                        Any man with a daughter.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          @prash

                          Come down back to reality. Having an iranian route does not change complex geopolitics. What are you going to do? Wrap a tank in a big box and declare it as soda machines on the customs document? Even if you get a few tanks across, do you think it can solve the civil war?

                          Afghanistan is going to get ripped apart. The pashtuns, tajiks, uzbeks and others don't realize it yet that afghanistan is the sore loser in this whole game.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by anil View Post
                            @prash

                            Come down back to reality. Having an iranian route does not change complex geopolitics. What are you going to do? Wrap a tank in a big box and declare it as soda machines on the customs document? Even if you get a few tanks across, do you think it can solve the civil war?

                            Afghanistan is going to get ripped apart. The pashtuns, tajiks, uzbeks and others don't realize it yet that afghanistan is the sore loser in this whole game.
                            and how do you think the current military gear reaches indian security forces in afganistan??

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by prash View Post
                              and how do you think the current military gear reaches indian security forces in afganistan??
                              What military gear?

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X