India, Russia sign USD 3 billion deal for nuclear-powered attack submarine for Indian Navy
Published: The New Indian Express
08 Mar 2019
India Thursday sealed a USD 3 billion deal with Russia for leasing of a nuclear-powered attack submarine for the Indian Navy for a period of 10 years, military sources said. The two countries signed an inter-governmental agreement capping months of negotiations on price and various other aspects of the deal. Under the pact, Russia will have to deliver the Akula class submarine, to be known as Chakra III, to the Indian Navy by 2025.Click here to read...
US sees rising Chinese military activity in south China sea
Published: Hindustan Times
07 Mar 2019
The US has observed a rise in Chinese military activity in the South China Sea area over the last year, according to the top American military officer in the region. Admiral Philip Davidson, the commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, declined to quantify the increased activity -- nor would he say whether the number of US freedom of navigation patrols would increase or remain stable. He did, however, underscore the American resolve to remain engaged, describing the US as an “enduring Pacific power.”resolve to remain engaged, describing the US as an “enduring Pacific power.”Click here to read...
Pakistan turns down visa request of UN team to interview Hafiz Saeed
Published: The Economic Times
07 Mar 2019
Pakistan turned down the visa request of a UN team which wanted to interview Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed on his application for removing his name from the UNSC sanctions list, according to UN sources.
Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008 after the Mumbai terror attack in which 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists killed 166 people. He was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November 2017.Click here to read...
Quad grouping may be shelved for now
Published: The Tribune
07 Mar 2019
A US military commander suggested Thursday that a loose security grouping of his country, Japan, Australia and India, also known as the quad, may be shelved for now. Admiral Phil Davidson, who heads the US Indo-Pacific Command, said he was on a panel with the other navy chiefs at the Raisina Dialogue, a multilateral conference in New Delhi in January.Click here to read...
US justified F-16 sale to Pakistan in 2008 as deterrence against India
Published: The Economic Times
06 Mar 2019
Pakistan’s use of F-16s against India on February 27 has raised tough questions for Washington, which had justified the sale on grounds of not just combatting terror but also as providing “deterrence value” to Pakistan in case of a future conflict with India.
This is exactly how the then US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson had framed her embassy’s pitch for an exception to allow for diversion of American counter-terrorism financial assistance to Pakistan for purchasing F-16s and related enhancements.Click here to read...
