Pak pips India in arms-deal race

2 Oct 2007, 0000 hrs IST,Chidanand Rajghatta & Rajat Pandit,TNN

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: Pakistan, a country about a sixth of India in size, population, economy and several other metrics, has for the first time outstripped India in purchasing military hardware and software, notching up arms deals worth $5.1 billion in 2006, as compared to $3.5 billion by India, to be ranked the world’s largest arms shopper, according to a Congressional study released Monday.

According to the report, ‘Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations’, produced by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, Pakistan concluded $5.1 billion in agreements to buy arms in 2006, well ahead of second placed India with $3.5 billion in agreements and third placed Saudi Arabia with $3.2 billion, in the developing world. Venezuela ($3.1 billion), Algeria and Israel ($2.1 billion each), and Brazil ($1.1 billion) were the other leading arms purchasers.

India, however, figures right at the top if the 1999-2006 timeframe is taken, with agreements worth a whopping $ 22.40 billion. In this timeframe, China ranks second ($17.40 billion), followed by Saudi Arabia ($16.40 billion) and Egypt ($13.30 billion), with Pakistan coming seventh with $10.90 billion.

As reported by TOI earlier, India has topped the list in both 2004 and 2005, with agreements worth $5.7 billion and $5.4 billion, respectively, even overtaking China for the first time.

But while India still continues to spend just about 2.5% of its GDP on defence, a trend witnessed since 1991-92 despite the armed forces consistently demanding it be raised to at least 3%, the figures for Pakistan and China hover around 4.5% of their GDPs.

Pakistan, of course, has gained ground in recent years, taking full advantage of the US quid pro quo for its support in the so-called war on terrorism in Afghanistan.

The study also shows that Pakistan, viewed in many quarters as the most dangerous country on earth and a terrorist swamp, received top of the line armaments which seem to have little relevance in the war on terror. Instead, critics say Washington appears to be arming an unstable Pakistan to the teeth amid prospects of it going even more extremist. US sales to Pakistan in 2006 included the $1.4 billion purchase of 36 new F-16C/D fighter aircraft and $640 million in missiles and bombs. The deal included a package for $890 million in upgrades for Pakistan’s older versions of the F-16.

The two main armament suppliers to Pakistan are, of course, the US and China, while it’s Russia, Israel and France for India.

The United States maintained its role as the leading supplier of weapons to the developing world in 2006, followed by Russia and Britain, according to the study. In 2006, the United States agreed to sell $10.3 billion in weapons to the developing world, or 35.8% of these deals worldwide, according to the study. Russia was second with $8.1 billion, or 28.1%, and Britain was third with $3.1 billion, or 10.8%.

Overall, weapons sales to developing countries in 2006 reached $ 28.8 billion, a modest drop from the 2005 figure of $31.8 billion. The combined value of arms sales worldwide to both developed and developing nations in 2006 reached $40.3 billion, a decline of nearly 13% from 2005. When combining totals for arms sales to developed and developing nations, the ranking of world arms sellers remained the same. The United States led with $16.9 billion, followed by Russia with $8.7 billion and Britain with $3.1 billion.

The 2006 sales figures for all three nations were higher than their totals in 2005. While commentaries accompanying the study focused on Russia’s arms supply to Iran, Venezuela and other countries Washington considers inimical, there was little by way of analysis of US sales to unstable Pakistan, where the army has long been accused of supporting Taliban and other extremist elements.

(http://www.timesofindia.com)