NEW DELHI – The Indian war hysteria has reched it’s peak under the Rightwing hindu extremist government of Narendra Modi who is bent upondestabilising the region and has started the arms race in Asia declaringPakistan and China as it’s arch enemies.

India has overtaken the United Kingdom in defence spending and broken intothe top five defence spenders, new report on military balance said onWednesday.

The annual report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies(IISS) sees China and Russia challenging the global dominance of the UnitedStates and its allies. IISS director-general John Chipman said whilegreat-power war is not inevitable, the three leading military powers are”systematically preparing for the possibility of conflict”.

India has the fifth largest defence budget in the world, at $52.5 billionin 2017 ($51.1 billion in 2016), overtaking the UK whose defence budgetfell from $52.5 billion in 2016 to $50.7 billion in 2017.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, whichcompiles authoritative reports on annual military spending, India’sexpenditure on defence was greater than that of the UK in 2016.

Titled Military Balance 2018, the IISS report details China’s growingmilitary prowess, particularly at sea, adding that Beijing was on track tobegin operating the Chengdu J-20 low-observable combat aircraft infrontline squadrons by 2020. “If this happens, the US would lose itsmonopoly on operational stealthy combat aircraft,” the report said.

Top 5 global defence spenders (in US $ billions)

United States 602.8

China 150.5

Saudi Arabia 76.7

Russia 61.2

India 52.5

(Source: International Institute for Strategic Studies, London)

Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, senior fellow for South Asia at IISS, said: “India’sdefence budget is still only a third of its neighbour, China. Post-Doklam,China continues to develop advanced airborne and land capabilities.”

He was referring to last year’s standoff between Indian and Chinese bordertroops at Doklam near the Sikkim border that lasted more than 70 days.

“These technologies do not simply seek to catch up with the West, but tochallenge traditional Western military dominance. India’s traditionalinfluence over the Indian Ocean is also being challenged by China’sshipbuilding. Since 2000, China has built more submarines, destroyers,frigates and corvettes than India, Japan and South Korea combined,”Roy-Chaudhury said.

On India overtaking the UK in defence spending, Roy-Chaudhury said: “Thisindicates a shift in the India-UK military power balance in the transitiontowards Brexit, whereby India is focusing more on developing militaryresources regionally than the UK is globally.”

The report noted that a new Indian joint armed forces doctrine was issuedin 2017, much of which was consistent with similar US and NATO doctrines.It sets out the joint doctrine for Indian nuclear command and control, andsees an “emerging triad” of space, cyber and special operationscapabilities complementing conventional land, sea and air capabilities.

“A defence space agency, defence cyber agency and special­ operationsdivision are to be formed,” it said, but added the Indian Army’s overallcapability is limited by inadequate logistics and shortages of ammunitionand spare parts.

“Development and procurement programmes across the services are aimed atreplacing ageing equipment, but many projects have experienced significantdelays and cost overruns, particularly indigenous systems,” the reportadded.