Modest Rise in Indian Military Spending Likely, Modernisation on Hold

India is likely to stick to a modest rise in defence spending in the 2019/2020 budget due on Friday because of tight government finances, officials said, further delaying a long-planned military modernisation programme.

India’s air force desperately needs hundreds of combat planes and helicopters to replace its Soviet-era aircraft while the navy has long planned for a dozen submarines to counter the expanding presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean. Read More…