ASIAN DEFENCE

Inexpensive  drones made in China could end up arming potential U.S. rivals such as North Korea, Iran and other organizations. China already makes drones that don't quite match up to U.S. military drones, but for a fraction of the cost. The Chinese military envisions such unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs) scouting out battlefield targets, guiding missile and artillery strikes, and swarming potential adversaries, such as U.S. carrier battle groups. "In whatever future conflict scenario we're in five or 10 years from now, the proliferation of UAVs is going to complicate things for the U.S. military," said Ian Easton, a research fellow at the Project 2049 Institute. China has built a huge military-industrial complex to support its growing drone fleet, which consisted of about 280 military drones as of mid-2011, according to a report released by the Project 2049 Institute on March 11. Chinese manufacturers supplying the military and state agencies also have begun seeki...

Indian MMRCA Project Talks Stuck After Dassault-HAL Role Fight

Chinese Nuclear Submarine For the first time in the history, the Indian Navy has solid hints that a fleet of Chinese nuclear submarines is making numerous sorties into the Indian Ocean . Indian Navy said they have recorded 22 such operations in which Chinese nuclear subs are in Indian waters. One submarine was spotted near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indian defense ministry said in a report that “22 unknown submarine contacts were detected by Indian and U.S sonar in the Indian Ocean” The assessment is that China is the only other navy capable of operating in the Indian water. The assessment has been confirmed by U.S. and Indian intelligence inputs. The extent of Chinese submarines’ frequent sorties into the Indian Ocean can be deeply troubling for the Indian Navy. Sources tell that “one contact with a suspected Chinese submarine took place just 90 km from Indian soil in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.” Six contacts took place north-west of the Straits ...