India vs Pakistan: Episode LXXII

[Flash]

I am surprised with how little is going on in the news today no one has mentioned that India and Pakistan are at each other's throats, again. The latest in the news was a MiG-21 'Bison' was shot down over Pakistan and the pilot was captured, with conflicting claims of more shootdowns from both sides. This after the Indians struck an apparent terrorist camp/base in Pakistan yesterday with Mirage 2000's in retaliation for a terrorist attack in Kashmir on 14 February that killed 41 police. Let's hope cooler heads prevail and things don't get worse.

 

[GroundPounder]

Given the history between the two, hopefully they can keep it at a slow boil and not let it get out of hand.

Getting along with others that we don't agree with.

 

[Randy Daytona]

I am surprised with how little is going on in the news today no one has mentioned that India and Pakistan are at each other's throats, again. The latest in the news was a MiG-21 'Bison' was shot down over Pakistan and the pilot was captured, with conflicting claims of more shootdowns from both sides. This after the Indians struck an apparent terrorist camp/base in Pakistan yesterday with Mirage 2000's in retaliation for a terrorist attack in Kashmir on 14 February that killed 41 police. Let's hope cooler heads prevail and things don't get worse.

Some extra info with the potential of using non-military methods of coercion.

Are India and Pakistan on the Verge of a Water War?
In reprisal for a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, the Indian government says it will divert river waters that downstream Pakistan has been counting on.
Pakistan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. One recent estimate suggests that Pakistan will face a shortage of 31 million acre-feet of water by 2025. [Pakistan uses about 104 million acre feet every year for agricultural irrigation.] Its underground aquifers are critically depleted from the over-extraction of groundwater, and the two largest dams—the Tarbela and the Mangla—have seen a decline in their storage capacity due to excessive deposits of silt. As such, any diminution in water flow will have serious consequences for the livelihoods of Pakistan’s farmers, who have already faced, over the past few years, a dearth of fresh water during the critical season—just before the monsoon, when the summer crop is planted.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/02/2...rge-of-a-water-war-pulwama-kasmir-ravi-indus/

India Threatens a New Weapon Against Pakistan: Water
“While I don’t see any imminent threat to Pakistan,” Mr. Rafiq added, “we may be getting a glimpse of the future of conflict in South Asia. The region is water-stressed. Water may be emerging as a weapon of war.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/world/asia/india-pakistan-water-kashmir.html

 

[xj220]

Did anyone see the pilot’s mustache? Well done.

 

[Brett327]

Kind of bizarre that India would send up a MiG-21 when the likely threat was an F-16. In fact, not sure why India even holds on to those.

 

[nittany03]

Did anyone see the pilot’s mustache? Well done.

Channeling Captain Price from the Modern Warfare trilogy . . .

 

[Austin-Powers]

Channeling Captain Price from the Modern Warfare trilogy . . .

Wait Naval Aviators play CoD?

 

[Hair Warrior]

Kind of bizarre that India would send up a MiG-21 when the likely threat was an F-16. In fact, not sure why India even holds on to those.

Don’t rule out poor decisions, miscalculation, lack of awareness, or basic errors.

 

[Brett327]

For sure. It’s just odd that a country like India is still using such an antiquated platform.

 

[fc2spyguy]

For sure. It’s just odd that a country like India is still using such an antiquated platform.

Unless you're just throwing a softball waiting to get hit. Just to wait for the next inning and a retort?

 

[Hair Warrior]

For sure. It’s just odd that a country like India is still using such an antiquated platform.

Probably cheaper and still useful to keep it around than to dispose of it. Quantity on paper can have deterrence value.

 

[BigRed389]

For sure. It’s just odd that a country like India is still using such an antiquated platform.

Is it really so odd?

Their TO&E across the board is a weird hodgepodge of mostly Russian stuff across multiple generations, with a sprinkling of some NATO/Israeli stuff and their own attempts in modernization resulting in shitty knock offs.

 

[Jim123]

What % get MiG- nahhhh, not gonna finish that question.

 

[Brett327]

Is it really so odd?

Their TO&E across the board is a weird hodgepodge of mostly Russian stuff across multiple generations, with a sprinkling of some NATO/Israeli stuff and their own attempts in modernization resulting in shitty knock offs.

Perhaps odd was an imprecise term. Stupid is better.

 

[Flash]

For sure. It’s just odd that a country like India is still using such an antiquated platform.

If you think our procurement process is fun India pretty much puts every other major arms procurer to shame with the amount of stupid that goes on. Not only is the bureaucracy stultifying but widespread graft and political interference makes things far worse. The replacement for the MiG-21, the 'indigenous' Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's 'Light Combat Aircraft' and now known at the 'Tejas', first flew in 2001 and was 'IOC' in 2011 but still isn't quite FOC with only a single squadron flying them. It didn't help we embargoed deliveries of the engines for years, the F404/414. All this for an aircraft that would likely only get close to early F-16/18's in capability.

In the meantime the Indians upgraded their MiG-21 fleet to the 'Bison' which gave them new avionics, radar with some BVR capability and they still have them in some strength. The Pakistanis aren't a whole lot better with much of their strike/attack fleet still consisting of Mirage III's and V's, and you guessed it...F-7 Fishbeds. The PAF's JF-17 is operational before the Tejas largely because China designed and built it for them.