India No Match For China’s Combat Power, Say Defence Ministry

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NEW DELHI – India is yearsbehind the Chinese military withthe Communist neighbour currentlyoutnumbering the country’scombat power by a 3:1ratio, a defence ministry documenthas revealed.India hopes to bridge the gap inthe next 15 years by improvingits fighting capacity with newstealth jets, aircraft carriers,nuclear-powered submarines,warships and land-based strikeformations. The document,accessed by Hindustan Times,predicts the picture will changeby the end of the 14th Plan period(2022-27), with India narrowingthe gap in combat powerwith China to a “desirable ratio”of 1.5:1. The dynamics of combatpower encompass elementssuch as a military’s firepower,mobility, logistic capability, manpowerand sustainability — factorsthat ultimately determinethe outcomeofa war.Strategicaffairs expert air vice MarshalKapil Kak (retd) said the “desirablecombat ratio” appeared tobe achievable. Steps taken byIndia to counter China’s militarybuild-up have led to a marginalimprovement in the relativeforceratio, the documentshows.