INDIA NAVY CHIEF
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India can't match China's military force: Navy Chief
Published on Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 01:39 in 
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New Delhi: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta has set off a storm by saying India cannot match China military force. Is it a warning from India's military that the government needs to hear?
"In military terms, both conventional and non-conventional, we neither have the capability nor the intention to match China force for force," said Admiral Sureesh Mehta.
For a nuclear-armed military representing the interests of a billion-plus people, the lack of confidence is quite striking. India's military leadership has made a stunning confession that New Delhi doesn't have the stomach for a fight, if push came to shove on the disputed Sino-Indian boundary.
"Whether in terms of GDP, defence spend or any other parameter, the gap between the two is too wide to bridge and is getting wider by the day," he said.
Is Mehta expressing frustration at the slow pace of India's military modernisation? While India spends about $30 billion annually on defence, China spends at least thrice as much, although some estimates go up to $ 200 billion.
Its military is twice as large as India and its nuclear arsenal far well proven.
"The eco penalties resulting from military conflict would have grave consequences for both nations. It would therefore be in both our interests to cooperate with reach other," he said.
The question is, does China want nothing but cooperation with India, as Mehta would want? It continues to proliferate missile and nuclear technology to Pakistan. Its growing footprint in the Indian Ocean challenges India's pre-eminence.
Its presence in ports ranging from Sittwe in Myanmar to Hambantotta in Lanka and Gwadar in Pakistan suggests a plan for the strategic encirclement of India. The Navy Chief's dramatic statement may have been a desperate cry to counter the Dragon.
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its a wake up call for these greedy politicians and they have to make sure that indian military should be
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Is this supposed to be 'new' news? Do we really think that the Indian government doesnt know this? What the
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Kudos to brave citizen. It is a well know secret that the minority headed government has no national interest at
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The politico setup in India, despite its best efforts, has become more of a burden to carry than the leadership
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What a shame on you mr.Navy Chief.We have the best army in the world.
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