Thursday, May 3, 2018

INDIA GROWING ITS MILITARY EXPENDITURES TO FEND OFF PAKISTAN AND COMMUNIST CHINA TO $63.9 BILLION PUTTING INDIA IN THE TOP 5 MILITARY 2017 SPENDERS BEHIND THE USA $610 BILLION, CHINA $228 BILLION, RUSSIA $87.8 BILLION (2013), SAUDI ARABIA $67 BILLION (2013)

NEW DELHI • India has joined the United States and China as one of the world's five biggest military spenders, reflecting geopolitical tensions as well as the country's reliance on imported weapons and sprawling personnel costs.
New Delhi's defence spending rose by 5.5 per cent to US$63.9 billion (S$85.3 billion) in 2017 and has now passed France, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report released yesterday. Worldwide military spending rose marginally last year to US$1.73 trillion, or roughly 2.2 per cent of global gross domestic product, the think-tank said.
"The Indian government plans to expand, modernise and enhance the operational capability of its armed forces, motivated at least partially by tensions with China and Pakistan," the report read.
The list of the world's biggest military spenders has remained consistent in recent years, dominated by the US and China, which spent US$610 billion and US$228 billion, respectively last year, according to SIPRI, which researches global arms spending.
However, the group said the balance of military spending is "clearly shifting" towards Asia, Oceania and the Middle East, driven largely by spending increases in China, India and Saudi Arabia.
China spends far more on its military than any other power in Asia. Beijing's share of worldwide military expenditure rose to 13 per cent in 2017 from just 5.8 per cent in 2008, according to SIPRI.

 https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/india-among-top-five-defence-spenders-in-world

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