Vol. 8 No. 1 (2020): A Journal of Strategic Studies, Summer 2020
Articles

India’s Foreign Arms Acquisition: Choices and Motivation of Suppliers and the Recipient

Riaz A. Khokhar
Research Assistant at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS)
Bio
A Journal of Strategic Studies Summer 2020
Published July 15, 2020
Keywords
  • Arms transfer,
  • arms suppliers,
  • India,
  • the United States,
  • Russia,
  • France,
  • Israel,
  • Pakistan,
  • military conflict,
  • strategic stability,
  • military technology,
  • terrorism
  • ...More
    Less
How to Cite
Riaz A. Khokhar. (2020). India’s Foreign Arms Acquisition: Choices and Motivation of Suppliers and the Recipient. CISS Insight Journal, 8(1), P48-70. Retrieved from http://journal.ciss.org.pk/index.php/ciss-insight/article/view/136

Abstract

Many studies have explored the relationship between arms transfers and escalation of conflict between states, including between India and Pakistan, but hardly any study has examined the motivations of India’s arms suppliers in transferring military equipment and technology to India. This paper attempts to examine India’s foreign arms acquisition and the motive forces governing each of India’s top arms and their impact on India-Pakistan rivalry. The research drew two major inferences: one, each of India’s arms suppliers has its specific strategic, political and economic objectives in transferring arms and technologies to India and have no direct connection with the latter’s hostility with Pakistan. Two India’s choices of arms suppliers and arms and technology types were a result of both a transformation in the world order and a security crisis in India or its military confrontation with Pakistan (or China).