Indian air force gets Awacs plane

[Coventina]

Source: BBC

India has officially taken delivery of an Awacs early-warning surveillance aircraft, part of a $1bn (£600m) defence deal with Israel.

The plane, Russian-made but packed with Israeli radar, is expected to reinforce India's maritime security following the attacks on Mumbai last year.

Only a few non-Nato countries have Awacs and critics say it is a bad omen for the arms race in South Asia.

India has ordered another two AWACS as it upgrades its military capabilities.

The Ilyushin-76 - which arrived in India on Monday - gives India the capability to track hundreds of aircraft and potential threats at sea and on the ground, at considerable distances.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8072143.stm

[onehandle]

1. Yay, Nuclear War! nt

[brendan120678]

3. How does getting an AWACS lead you to nuclear war?

[bananas]

5. By escalating a nuclear arms race. nt

[hack89]

6. They are purely defensive. nt

[bdab1973]

7. It can be used for offensive ops too

However, the point I'm going to make is India has just as much a right to decide what equipment to defend itself with as any other country. The whole idea that "only a few NATO" countries have them, thus indicating possessing these aircraft must mean greater potential for warfare, is wrong.

Actually, AWACS-style aircraft are growing in popularity world-wide. A number of other nations also possess Airborne Early Warning aircraft of various types, and also with differing capabilities. The truth is, the older E-3C AWACS operated by the USAF and NATO are actually less sophisticated than some of the types in use with other countries. And if anything, the aircraft act as a deterrent, with the enemies understanding that their every move is tracked.

[friendly_iconoclast]

8. Horseshit- A lot of countries have AWACS planes

of one form or another, in addition to the NATO countries, Russia, and China:

Sweden
Turkey
Israel
Australia
Singapore

http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/air-force-aviation/gulfstream-g550-compact-airborne-early-warning-6101/

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/05/01/213565/singapore-confirms-aew-purchase.html

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/AWA2/1001-1100/walk1057-Wedgetail-Inglee/00.shtm

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/737aewc/

[bananas]

9. There's a difference when it's part of their massive build-up of nuclear weapons systems.

There's a big difference between just AWACS versus AWACS as part of a large build-up in nuclear weapons systems.
It's been estimated that Bush's "nukes-for-mangoes" will enable India to build about 50 warheads a year.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KB20Df02.html
Feb 20, 2009

India's nuclear submarine plan surfaces
Siddharth Srivastava

NEW DELHI - Expressing fears about cross-border terrorism in the wake of the November 26 Mumbai attack and keeping a close eye on China's military expansion, India announced plans this week to hike its defense budget by 34% to 1.4 trillion rupees (US$30 billion) and last week revealed that its project to build three nuclear-powered submarines is nearing completion.

"Things are in the final stage now in the Advanced Technology Vessel project. There were bottlenecks earlier ... they are over now," Defense Minister A K Antony said on February 12.

The Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project is part of India's $3 billion plan to build five submarines and complete what it calls a "triad" of nuclear weapon launch capability - from air, land and sea. India is concurrently developing the K-15 ballistic missile, which can be nuclear-tipped and launched from submarines.

Defense sources have told Asia Times Online that New Delhi has been actively seeking out assistance from France in the implementation of the ATV project, and that Russian engineers are already involved. The sources said that the sea trials of the nuclear-powered submarines should begin this month and that the submarines should be operational within the next three years.

<snip>

[friendly_iconoclast]

11. Sorry, *that* toothpaste won't be going back into the tube

India has a legitimate right to have those AWACS.

As much right as any of the countries I mentioned previously. They are a large, suprisingly advanced country, with two neighboring nuclear-armed countries they have gone to war with in the past.

Believe me, I wholeheartedly endorse the idea of arms reduction talks, but as a wise person once said:

"You can get a whole lot more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word"

And if they are already building ballistic missiles and nuclear-powered submarines from which to launch
said missiles, chances are they will be able to build their own AWACS planes in the near future.

Even Brazil sells AWACS planes these days:

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/emb/

"EMB-145 Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, Brazil"

[hugo_from_TN]

4. What? Did you even read the post?

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ohio2007]

10. They get a Russian/Israeli AWACS just before the Taliban get jihad jet jocks

and missile launchers for mohammad.

Not all jihadi's are illiterate peasants. Some are very capable members of Pakistan society.

Luckily, of course, the Talibans only beef is with the sectarian govt of Islamabad. India has no reason ( in the past several months anyway ) to keep their guard up from threats that expensive AWACS would detect.
;)