Short and medium range missiles on display during India's annual Republic Day Photo: AFP / GETTYIndia To Spend More On Defence Than Britain Within Five Years -- The Telegraph
India's military spending is set to overtake Britain's present defence budget within five years as the country transforms its armed forces to counter-balance China.
This rivalry between the world's largest rising powers lies behind an inexorable shift in global military power away from Europe and towards Asia.
India's defence spending has risen by an average of 18 per cent in each of the past three years. British military expenditure, by contrast, is planned to rise by an annual 1.4 per cent, after inflation.
If this continues, India's present defence spending of £15 billion will more than double to £35 billion in 2013. Britain's current military budget is £34 billion.
"As China and India's economies grow they will want to see their military strength improve," said Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary. "For us in the West, India could be a very useful ally in the war against terror, but you look at countries like China and Russia and you are seeing them increasing their military hardware. It shows you all the more starkly how complacent some of our Nato allies are in failing to maintain adequate defence spending."
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We are in the longest period of sustained real growth in the defence budget for over 20 years. What matters is the excellent capabilities we are delivering in terms of vehicles, body armour and weaponry, rather than a
If this continues, India's present defence spending of £15 billion will more than double to £35 billion in 2013. Britain's current military budget is £34 billion.
"As China and India's economies grow they will want to see their military strength improve," said Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary. "For us in the West, India could be a very useful ally in the war against terror, but you look at countries like China and Russia and you are seeing them increasing their military hardware. It shows you all the more starkly how complacent some of our Nato allies are in failing to maintain adequate defence spending."
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We are in the longest period of sustained real growth in the defence budget for over 20 years. What matters is the excellent capabilities we are delivering in terms of vehicles, body armour and weaponry, rather than any comparison of levels of defence expenditure."
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My Comment: A sign of the times. India and China will be the two regional super powers in Asia, an arms race between the two is now accelerating.