The Doklam standoff which was resolved following mutual withdrawal of troops and not the removal of Indian troops unilaterally as demanded by China will have a profound impact on the geopolitical standing of both Delhi and Beijing. New Delhi, which stood firm amid Beijing’s relentless provocation, sent out a message that it would stand by a friend (Bhutan) in terms of crisis and in the process strengthened its partnership with Asian countries, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. This stand-off, closely watched by Asian countries, especially those who have territorial and maritime disputes with China, has shown that China’s expansionist ambition is not unstoppable, according to an expert well-versed with Beijing’s foreign policy. While Japan openly supported India’s position in Doklam, Vietnam and other SE Asian nations, which have been victims of Beijing’s ambitions in South China Sea region, monitored the situation from close quarters. China’s neighbours may now feel encouraged to oppose Beijing’s unjustified territorial demands based on “historical narratives” as well as its aggression. Simultaneously, Beijing’s unilateral initiatives riding on its economic prowess may face some hurdles. It is not just the immediate and extended neighbours of India and China that monitored the 75-day standoff closely following the warmongering which emanated from Beijing. India’s strategic restraint not only restored the status quo but also enabled to enhance Delhi’s profile in the comity of nations as an emerging power. However, this will not be the last of Doklam as the Chinese will try again to complete what they began, according to observers. In this backdrop, India decided not to lower its guard in areas close to Doklam as Beijing can up the ante in Doklam or other sectors along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in future. The Indian Army Chief last week warned that PLA could push an increase in transgressions along the 4,057-km-long LAC. Nonetheless, India’s strong response in Doklam may work to Delhi’s favour as Beijing is known to appreciate powerful nations and blackmail weak ones. It is also understood that Xi is still is grappling with internal dissent –– the reason why he is currently not in a position to consider hostilities. It defies logic why China took this action to enter Doklam at a time when the 19th party Congress is round the corner. All party Congresses are important because changes are made in the top echelons of the party, and policies are set forth. The 19th party Congress, however, could be a landmark for Xi as he may try to seek extension beyond his second term in office after 2022. But, in the inner conclaves of the Congress, Xi may be questioned on many issues including the economic downturn, job losses, high price rise, closure of factories and small businesses, and unpaid wages. The challenge could come from Liu Yunshan who is in charge of literary and propaganda work; hence the official media is under him. Earlier, he had tried to trap Xi in Hong Kong affairs leading to the Occupy Central and Umbrella Movement campaigns. Similarly, he tried to set up Xi on Taiwan. Xi survived both, but internally he suffered some damage.
Lockheed Martin is closing in on an international deal for F-16 fighter planes, and has offered to eventually build all the jets at a proposed plant in India if it wins a bigger order to supply the Indian Air Force, a top executive said.
The US defence giant and Sweden’s Saab are in a two horse-race to equip the military with at least 100 single-engine jets that have to be produced locally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make-in-India’ plan.
Randall L. Howard, who leads F-16 business development, said Lockheed is offering to make India the sole F-16 production centre, so eventually it will make the planes not just for India, but also for other countries.
Lockheed is closing its F-16 production line at Forth Worth, Texas and will supply new orders from a new facility at Greenville, South Carolina. But the plan was to eventually build the planes in India, Howard told Reuters.
“Our next customer, which we believe to be very soon … we will produce those aircraft out of that (Greenville) facility,” he said. “As you look beyond that, the opportunity for India is to then move all of that into India and that’s what’s being proposed … to have a single production line in India that would service the new production requirements of global demand, the global market.”
Government is set to issue a formal request to Lockheed and Saab over the next few days to provide information about their plans to design, develop and produce combat jets in India, a government official said.
The planes will be produced under a new ‘strategic partnership’ policy under which the foreign aircraft maker will collaborate with an Indian firm to develop a world-class indigenous aeronautical base that India has struggled to build for decades.
Lockheed has picked Tata Advanced Systems as its local partner, while Saab has not yet announced its Indian collaborator to produce the Gripen E aircraft that it has offered to the air force.
Howard said the plan to relocate the F-16 plant to India enjoyed the support of the U.S. government after initial concerns it would conflict with President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ campaign under which he has pressed for companies to invest in the United States and create jobs.
Howard said winning the Indian contract worth billions of dollars will protect thousands of jobs at Lockheed in the United States as well as at dozens of components suppliers, since the Indian facility will come up gradually.
“We will start with an assembly, you can’t go from ground zero, from a standing stop to full production in a week. You have to phase it in.”
India’s Air Force is running short of hundreds of aircraft as its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft programme is dogged by delays and quality issues.
Modi’s government last year cleared the purchase of 36 Rafale combat jets from France’s Dassault Aviation, scaling back a plan to buy 126 planes, leaving the Air Force scrambling for replacements.
Source:- ET
The post The Doklam standoff which was resolved following mutual withdrawal of troops and not the removal of Indian troops unilaterally as demanded by China will have a profound impact on the geopolitical standing of both Delhi and Beijing. New Delhi, which stood firm amid Beijing’s relentless provocation, sent out a message that it would stand by a friend (Bhutan) in terms of crisis and in the process strengthened its partnership with Asian countries, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. This stand-off, closely watched by Asian countries, especially those who have territorial and maritime disputes with China, has shown that China’s expansionist ambition is not unstoppable, according to an expert well-versed with Beijing’s foreign policy. While Japan openly supported India’s position in Doklam, Vietnam and other SE Asian nations, which have been victims of Beijing’s ambitions in South China Sea region, monitored the situation from close quarters. China’s neighbours may now feel encouraged to oppose Beijing’s unjustified territorial demands based on “historical narratives” as well as its aggression. Simultaneously, Beijing’s unilateral initiatives riding on its economic prowess may face some hurdles. It is not just the immediate and extended neighbours of India and China that monitored the 75-day standoff closely following the warmongering which emanated from Beijing. India’s strategic restraint not only restored the status quo but also enabled to enhance Delhi’s profile in the comity of nations as an emerging power. However, this will not be the last of Doklam as the Chinese will try again to complete what they began, according to observers. In this backdrop, India decided not to lower its guard in areas close to Doklam as Beijing can up the ante in Doklam or other sectors along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in future. The Indian Army Chief last week warned that PLA could push an increase in transgressions along the 4,057-km-long LAC. Nonetheless, India’s strong response in Doklam may work to Delhi’s favour as Beijing is known to appreciate powerful nations and blackmail weak ones. It is also understood that Xi is still is grappling with internal dissent –– the reason why he is currently not in a position to consider hostilities. It defies logic why China took this action to enter Doklam at a time when the 19th party Congress is round the corner. All party Congresses are important because changes are made in the top echelons of the party, and policies are set forth. The 19th party Congress, however, could be a landmark for Xi as he may try to seek extension beyond his second term in office after 2022. But, in the inner conclaves of the Congress, Xi may be questioned on many issues including the economic downturn, job losses, high price rise, closure of factories and small businesses, and unpaid wages. The challenge could come from Liu Yunshan who is in charge of literary and propaganda work; hence the official media is under him. Earlier, he had tried to trap Xi in Hong Kong affairs leading to the Occupy Central and Umbrella Movement campaigns. Similarly, he tried to set up Xi on Taiwan. Xi survived both, but internally he suffered some damage. appeared first on Indian Defence Update.Indian Defence Update -
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