Five Indian weapons that China should fear: report. (Chinatimes).
Kyle Mizokami, a defense expert from San Francisco, wrote about five pieces of Indian military equipment which could pose a threat to the People’s Liberation Army on the battlefield in a recent article for the Washington-based National Interest magazine.
This follows another two articles by Mizokami on five American and five Japanese weapons China should fear,
Mizokami said that the first piece of equipment China should fear is the IND Vikramaditya, an aircraft carrier India purchased from Russia. The carrier entered service with the Indian Navy in 2013 and it is currently the nation’s latest and most powerful carrier. It is estimated to carry 30 MiG-29K or Tejas fighters and 12 helicopters for combat operations. These aircraft will increase the Indian fleet’s radius of action.
If deployed against China, the Vikramaditya could potentially launch a blockade to cut off Chinese shipping routes. Its offensive air power could also be used against any Chinese fleet trying to break the blockade. “If India and China were to come to blows, the real war would be fought at sea,” said Mizokami. “China imports large amounts of foreign oil, and two thirds of that must pass through the Indian Ocean.” The Indian Navy has more experience in carrier operations, as they began operating their first carrier in 1961.
The second Indian weapons system that China should fear is the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft also known as the FGFA designed for the nation’s air force. Designed as a derivative of the Russian PAK-FA fighter program, the FGFA allows the Indian Air Force to compete with the US F-22 and the Chinese J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighters. It will allow India to match advances in Chinese air power for the foreseeable future.
Mizokami said that the Brahmos anti-ship missile is the third weapon for China to fear. With a speed of up to Mach 3, the Brahmos represents a substantial missile threat to the PLA. It is too fast for them to deal with, Mizokami said, adding that it would give China’s unproven air defenses, both on the ground and at sea, mere seconds to respond to a missile attack.
The fourth weapons system on the list was the Kolkata-class destroyer. Mizokami said it provides air defense for ships such as the Vikramaditya, adding that it is important that China realizes that this vessel is armed with 16 BrahMos missiles. The destroyer can operate independently as a commerce raider and could potentially be very dangerous to Chinese shipping.
The final weapons system on the list is the Arihant-class ballistic missile submarine, which, he said, is not only a threat to the PLA warships operating in the open sea but threatens the Chinese homeland as well. With a range of 3,500 kilometers, the 12 K-15 missiles the submarine is equipped with could hit Beijing when launched from Indian waters.
