Thursday, April 26, 2012

pak's screwdriver job missiles don't impress even their pals at 'the economist', but what's this about india's 'concessions'?

says the economist: 

"China still has far greater military muscle, and could already threaten India in such a way. But getting closer to mutual deterrence may actually help improve bilateral ties, says an optimist, C. Raja Mohan, of the Observer Research Foundation, a think-tank in Delhi. For instance, greater Indian confidence may, just possibly, mean daring to make concessions in order to reach a deal with China over their disputed border."

so give siachen to pak, and arunachal to the hans, is that the latest from the brits and the yanks? jeez, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

excerpts from the firewalled full report:

Asian missiles

Rocket salad

India and Pakistan show off their nuclear-capable missiles

IN THE spring an Asian leader’s fancy turns to thoughts of firing missiles. North Korea bungled an effort to test its Unha-3 rocket on April 12th. But on April 19th India, to domestic cheers, successfully shot its new, long-range Agni 5 missile into the Bay of Bengal. Not to be left out, Pakistan blasted two nuclear-capable missiles: the short-range Abdali on March 5th, then the longer-reaching Shaheen-1A on April 25th.

These displays of military hardware look, at least in South Asia, like old rivals showing off. India and Pakistan have long vied for local military superiority, within the bounds of mutual nuclear deterrence. Yet the range and quantity of their missiles probably matter little: since the neighbours’ capitals are less than 700km (435 miles) apart, either could easily destroy the other. “Pakistan could hit India even with a [nuclear-armed] bullock cart,” as Uday Bhaskar, a defence analyst in Delhi, puts it.

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