The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
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Indian Army Defenseless From Air Attack
by James Dunnigan
August 27, 2015
Since the 1990s the Indian Army has been seeking, without success, to replace several thousand Cold War era 23mm (from Russia) and 40mm (from Sweden) anti-aircraft gun systems. Many of the 23mm weapons are multi-barrel. Recently the army was finally given $5 million to buy about a thousand new anti-aircraft gun systems but only if they are made in India. The problem is that currently no Indian firm can manufacture such guns. Because of that in 2013 the army was allowed to seek foreign suppliers. But the government provided so little money that no foreign supplier (including the Russians) could afford to bid on the contract. At present it looks like the army will have to wait a few more years until an Indian firm can obtain a manufacturing license from a foreign firm. Add a few more years for the first Indian made anti-aircraft gun systems to arrive. Given the way this usually works it will be about ten years before the Indian Army has new anti-aircraft gun systems that work well enough to put into service.
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