Indien: Militarisierung und der Aufbau einer autonomen Rüstungsproduktion

Abstract

The post independence Indian defence policy and military doctrine are described in this article as a background information for an analysis of the continuous growth in military strength and the more recent militarisation. The Army, Air Force and Navy has been built up permanently since 1949. The military expenditure has according to the budget trippled during the last ten years. Besides this tendency to an increasing absorption of resources and top priority of research and development for military activities, the built-up of strong paramilitary and police forces for the control of social unrest and for oppression of government opposition can be observed. A self-sufficient indigenous arms production is the declared goal of the government as well as military headquarters. The rather limited ordinance production before World War II has been developed into a full-fledged armaments industry, which produces armoured vehicles, tanks, fighter-bombers, jet trainers, helicopters, even large battle ships and rockets. India has the most advanced arms production program of all third world countries. Inspite of these continuous efforts the goal of self-sufficiency has not been reached and arms production in India is to a large extend dependent on arms transfers as well as licensed production from industrialised countries, especially the Soviet Union, but also Great Britain, the F. R. G., the U.S.A., Czechoslovakia, France, Canada, Norway, Japan and others. A military industrialised complex in India is emerging according to some evidence in this article.