Latest news with #MilitaryBalance2025
India.com
01-07-2025
- Business
- India.com
Bad news for Israel, US as Iran plans to buy J-10C fighter jets from..., can challenge...
Bad news for Israel, US as Iran plans to buy J-10C fighter jets from..., can challenge... Israel has destroyed Iran's decades-old air force in a 12-day war and Iranian fighter jets have been selectively destroyed. Iran's air defense system and radar systems have been destroyed. Israel has completely destroyed Iran's very weak radar units. After the devastating war with Israel, Iran is considering taking help from China. Iran's Su-35 deal with Russia has already failed, in such a situation Iran has no other option except China. In such a situation, Iran is moving rapidly towards buying J-10C fighter jets from China. Through this deal, Iran is not only trying to strengthen its air force, but if this deal happens then it will be a big geo-political signal and this will rapidly increase China's threat in the Persian Gulf. On whom is Iran backing? Iran has turned to China to modernise its dilapidated air force fleet in view of regional tensions, according to a report in Iran's Khorasan newspaper. The paper reported that the Iranian Air Force is desperate and in dire need of Chinese help. Iran's air force, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), does not have operational power. According to the Military Balance 2025 published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Iran's air force had about 150 fighter jets before the recent conflict, but most of them are relics of a bygone era. Iran will modernise its air force Iran's air force is still dependent on US-origin 1970s aircraft. 64 F-4 Phantom II, 35 F-5 Tiger II, and 41 F-14A Tomcats are its backbone. Many of these aircraft are not even in flying condition. Iran also has some Mi-29s that came in the 1980s, but these too have become useless due to acute shortage of spare parts and technical support. In the war that started on 13 June 2025, Iran admitted that 30% of its air force has become inactive. Apart from this, indigenous surface-to-air missile systems like Bavar-373 completely failed in front of Israel's electronic warfare and stealth capabilities.
India Today
01-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
In numbers: India and Pakistan's unequal militaries
India is considering bigger military action; Pakistan wants to retaliate. As tensions rise after the deadly terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, here's how the two nations compare new: The terror attack in Pahalgam has renewed hostilities between India and Pakistan, drawing attention to their military and nuclear it matters: Both countries are nuclear powers, and even a limited conflict carries a serious risk to regional and global stability. Tensions have mounted between the countries after terrorists in Kashmir's Pahalgam killed 26 civilians on April 22. India said that Pakistan backed those behind the attack, but Pakistan denied In numbers:Troop strength: India is around 1.5 million strong; Pakistan, around 6,60,000Defence budgets (2024): India's was $86 billion, and Pakistan's was around $10 billionNuclear warheads: India has 180 and Pakistan has 170Military equipment: India has 480 aircraft while Pakistan has 300. In terms of naval vessels, India has 210 and Pakistan has 44In-depth: Insurgency in Kashmir started in 1989, and India and Pakistan have fought several wars, mostly over Kashmir. The fourth Indo-Pakistani war took place in 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh. India also launched retaliatory military strikes in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in 2016 and 2019. This time, India wants a stronger response to the latest attack, the deadliest in Kashmir since has the edge in firepower — more troops, aircraft, ships, and far greater defence spending. Meanwhile, Pakistan also has to focus on its western border with Afghanistan, dealing with cross-border militancy is building new "theatre commands" to improve military coordination more effectively. According to the Military Balance 2025 report, "In May 2024, the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Act was unveiled, amid a move to establish theatre commands, designed to improve integration."India is increasing its nuclear capabilities. In 2024, it tested its Agni-V ICBM with MIRVs. The country uses many Soviet and Russian-made systems and collaborates with Russia on missile development. Recently, it imported foreign equipment, mainly from the US and France. In 2023, India and the US signed a defence and technology cooperation agreement to boost security ties. Recruitment of term-limited personnel continues under the Agnipath military has long been focused on countering India and Afghanistan. Recruitment is high, but the armed forces face internal issues like political interference and financial strain. A 2003 ceasefire, reaffirmed in 2021, has lowered cross-border conflict in Kashmir. But after the Pahalgam massacre, it's rising a struggling economy, Pakistan invests in nuclear and missile programmes. This includes the Ababeel ballistic missile, which can carry multiple warheads. The Military Balance 2025 report states that China is Pakistan's largest defence partner, with many forces using Chinese military equipment. However, tensions with both India and the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan still impact and test its border security international environment has changed since 2019. So, this time, India's response could be harsher. Both sides have downplayed the risk of a full-scale war. Both are still building out their nuclear arsenals. India maintains a "no first use" policy, while Pakistan doesn' they said: 'The horrendous terror attack in Pahalgam has angered people in India and across the world. India is united in uprooting the menace of terrorism,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on April 27.'We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now. So, in that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken,' Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif InTrending Reel
Euronews
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Raising a unified European army: myth or reality?
ADVERTISEMENT Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are among the latest voices to support the idea of a European army to ensure a credible and lasting peace in the continent. "It is time to create a European army, EU armed forces with troops from all 27 member countries, working under a single flag with the same objectives," Sánchez said. "This is the only way that we become a true union." On paper, the concept is attractive. It could boost the interoperability of military systems, weapons, and forces, and would also involve a joint command structure to improve coordination among all participating troops. Europe—including the UK—currently has 1.47 million active-duty military personnel. By the end of 2024, the Russian presence in Ukraine had reached 700,000 troops. The largest armed forces are in France, with 202,200 troops, followed by Germany (179,850), Poland (164,100), Italy (161,850), the United Kingdom (141,100), Greece (132,000), and Spain (122,200), according to the Military Balance 2025 , compiled by the IISS. In the short term, Europe's challenge is not to replace the US military one-for-one, Max Bergmann, director at the US Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in a recent analysis. 'But for the long term, Europe should get serious about building a common European force that can fight and act as one to defend Europe—that can replace the United States,' he wrote. However, despite calls from various capitals in recent years, EU officials in Brussels remain reluctant to reignite the conversation. Having a renewed debate on creating a European army would only create confusion, one official told Euronews. 'Defence is and will remain a national prerogative,' an EU spokesperson added, clarifying that 'the point is not about having an 'EU army' but rather about having 27 capable and interoperable armies that can work better and together.' Current discussions and plans are focusing on integrating Ukraine into the EU's defence market and boosting military capabilities and readiness in the event of a potential Russian aggression—which, according to several European intelligence agencies, could happen within five years. Earlier this year, the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, noted that fragmentation in Europe is inflating costs, hindering interoperability, and causing logistical issues. The continent currently has 172 different types of major weapons systems, aircraft, vehicles, and combat vessels, compared to just 32 in the US. 'We need integration in defence and interoperability on the ground. We do not need a European army,' the former Estonian prime minister said. Currently, 23 out of 27 EU countries fall under the security umbrella of the transatlantic military alliance. However, as the US shifts its strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific, it is urging its allies to shoulder a greater share of the burden in defending the European continent. NATO is expected to call on its 32 allies to increase their military capability targets by 30% during its annual summit in The Hague, Netherlands, in June. The alliance is also likely to ask members to raise defence spending to at least 3% of GDP—up from the current 2%, which some European countries, including Belgium, Italy, and Spain, still fail to meet. ADVERTISEMENT EU heavyweights such as Kallas and Andrius Kubilius, the bloc's defence commissioner, have repeatedly emphasised that the EU is not seeking to compete with NATO but rather to support its European members in meeting shared objectives. 'We need 27 European armies that are capable and can effectively work together to deter our rivals and defend Europe—preferably with our allies and partners, but alone if needed,' Kallas said in late January. According to preliminary estimates from the Brussels-based economic think tank Bruegel, for Europe to serve as a credible deterrent without US support, a European army would require at least 1,400 tanks, 2,000 infantry fighting vehicles, and 700 artillery pieces. It would also need a million 155mm shells for the first three months of high-intensity combat. In terms of personnel, Europe would need an additional 300,000 troops. Drone production would need to scale up to 2,000 long-range loitering munitions annually to match Russian levels. And defence spending would also have to increase by approximately €250 billion per year—roughly 3.5% of GDP—in the short term. ADVERTISEMENT 'We should try to create a military parity between Europe and Russia, which would maintain this deterrence without even having to necessarily resort to nuclear deterrence,' Dr. Alexandr Burilkov, co-author of the Bruegel analysis, told Euronews.
The National
12-02-2025
- Business
- The National
Middle East defence spending increases amid ‘deteriorating' global stability
Military spending in the Middle East has increased by 14 per cent in the past year as the region seeks greater security amid continued crises, an influential UK think tank publication has disclosed. The latest publication of the Military Balance 2025 showed that countries were rapidly rearming over concerns of spiralling conflict from the Israel-Gaza war. The report also found that worldwide military spending had increased by more than 7 per cent, rising to $2.46 trillion in a 'deteriorating security environment'. Many Gulf countries concentrated spending on missile defence systems, buying significant numbers of US Patriot and South Korean Cheongung II interceptors. Armed drones had become increasingly sought after by Gulf countries, following the US demonstrating their effectiveness in the 2000s. Emile Hokayem, IISS's Middle East expert, told The National at the London press conference that the region was 'in the high-risk zone right now' with the potential for Iran to develop up to two nuclear weapons within six months. He also emphasised the 'great appetite' in Israel to attack Iran's nuclear sites if its intelligence discovered Tehran had decided for a 'breakout' in bomb making. But he also suggested that US President Donald Trump would be 'unwilling to risk it' with a joint American attack. 'However, I would expect considerable nuclear brinkmanship in next nine months,' he warned. The 'fragile security environment', the reports' authors from the International Institute for Strategic Studies said, had led to a 'very strong' defence investment with Gulf countries spending on average 4 per cent of GDP on the military, double what most Nato countries outlay. 'This average masks the fact that the region is home to some of the largest spenders as a proportion of GDP,' the authors said. 'This includes Algeria, which now spends 8.2 per cent of GDP on defence – second only to Ukraine globally – as well as Israel and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia remained the Middle East's biggest defence spender with a $72 billion budget, followed by Israel on $34 billion.' Algeria, Iraq and Israel recorded the highest rates of growth 'amid a worsening security situation' with the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel 'precipitating an increasingly internationalised conflict'. Gulf states, as well as Israel, were also investing in their domestic defence industries that 'continued apace' as the countries seek to secure their own sovereign supply chains while developing new technologies, the Military Balance reported. The publication also highlighted the Emirates' decision to become the first Gulf country to publicly unveil a national defence strategy. 'Its focus on advanced technology, the national defence industry and human capital as key drivers of future growth also help it to project the image of a future-focused force,' it said. The report also pointed to progress made on a GCC Early Warning Study that will take forward plans for a Gulf-wide integrated missile defence systems to deter missile threats, particularly from Iran. It was Tehran's direct ballistic missile attacks on Israel in April and October last year that added 'new urgency to the long-standing goal of improving air and missile defence' in the Gulf. This was hastened by Israel's successful tiered air defence system including Iron Dome that shot down many of the Iranian weapons. Israel's air strike retaliation in late October also underscored its military superiority over Iran and 'exposed weaknesses in Iran's capabilities' with debilitating attacks on the country's air defence system as well as its missile production centres. This had left Tehran's leadership with a 'strategic dilemma' that could well see it accelerate its nuclear weapon project.
