Article

2014-05-29 India-Pakistan

Pakistan should focus on economic progress, not defence: Nawaz

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Posted by Ulans Glish3303 2014-05-29 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11135 views ] Top

#1 India's economy is growing nicely. They can afford to concentrate on both.

India's military is hobbled by corruption and inefficiency. Fixing that will be a tall order.

Posted by Squinty 2014-05-29 00:19|| 2014-05-29 00:19|| Front Page Top

#2 Also, India's population is growing at 1.4% per year far surpassing Chinas rate of 0.7%. This differential will result in India's population size overtaking China's in less than 20 years.

With such a high population growth rate 5% GDP growth projected for 2014 is not great.

Posted by Squinty 2014-05-29 00:57|| 2014-05-29 00:57|| Front Page Top

#3 Growth rate is not quality rate.
A hord of morons is still not desirable.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2014-05-29 05:43|| 2014-05-29 05:43|| Front Page Top

#4 India's military is hobbled by corruption and inefficiency.
AFAICT that statement would be valid for almost all militaries, now and throughout the past. So the question is how hobbled are they relative to their enemies.

Posted by Glenmore 2014-05-29 08:51|| 2014-05-29 08:51|| Front Page Top

#5 India's military is hobbled by corruption and inefficiency. Fixing that will be a tall order.

India's ~~military~~ society is hobbled by corruption and inefficiency. Fixing that ~~will be a tall order~~ is impossible due to the nature of their culture.

Also, India's population is growing at 1.4% per year far surpassing...

The bulk of this population growth is among the low IQ uneducated and illiterate peasant classes. As RJ points out, hoards of morons are not desirable.

Posted by Secret Asian Man 2014-05-29 10:42|| 2014-05-29 10:42|| Front Page Top

#6 hoards of morons are not desirable

They're very desirable to the government they vote for.

Posted by Glenmore 2014-05-29 12:25|| 2014-05-29 12:25|| Front Page Top

#7 Obumble want's them. the idiots, that is, they make nice Democrats.

Pre-qualified so to speak.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2014-05-29 15:52|| 2014-05-29 15:52|| Front Page Top

#8 AFAICT that statement would be valid for almost all militaries, now and throughout the past. So the question is how hobbled are they relative to their enemies.

"Officers and experts say that because the defense budget has stayed flat at $14 billion for the past three years, with key acquisition programs stuck in the Defense Ministry's bureaucracy, the military has a critical shortage of ammunition and gaping holes in its air defense systems.

Many blame Defense Minister A.K. Antony, whose tenure began in 2006, for the problems.

In the past seven years, $9 billion worth of tenders for various defense projects have been canceled midway during procurement; half a dozen overseas defense companies have been blacklisted on charges of alleged corruption; and more than 50 complaints against various defense deals have been sent to the country's anti-fraud agency , a MoD source said.

All of these steps, which were aimed at promoting transparency and weeding out corruption, led to shortages of weaponry and equipment, and prices of some systems have gone up by 100 percent after the cancellation of the tenders.

The canceled tenders include a $720 million VVIP helicopter deal with AgustaWestland, due to charges of corruption. A midair refueler tender worth more than $250 million was issued in 2007, canceled in 2009 and restarted in 2010.

A tender for the purchase of 197 light utility helicopters, needed urgently by the Indian Army and Air Force, was canceled in 2008 and issued again in 2009. However, the fate of the program is still not known as the commercial bids have yet to be opened.

"Everything went wrong," said Shyam Kimar Singh, a retired Indian Navy captain, referring to Antony's tenure. "Hardly any capital procurement cases went through except a few offshore patrol vessels for the Coast Guard. No case has seen the light of day in the 'Buy and Make Indian' category. The mine countermeasures vessels project [is an example] of poor decision-making.""

[DefenseNews] Procurement Problems Await Next Indian Government

China's procurement process is not without problems but IMHO India's is worse.

Posted by Squinty 2014-05-29 17:32|| 2014-05-29 17:32|| Front Page Top

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