Arms Deal
Context: India is diversifying its arms imports away from Russia towards Western allies, while Pakistan is increasingly reliant on Chinese weaponry amid declining U.S. support.
Important Pointers:
India's Shift from Russia in Arms Imports: India reduced its dependence on Russia from 96.5% in the 1990s to 75% in the 2020s, diversifying its sources.
Rise of Western Countries in Indian Defence Procurement: In the 2020s, India sourced arms increasingly from France (9%), the U.K. (5.5%), Israel (5%), and the U.S. (3%).
Indigenous and Collaborative Weapon Use by India: India used indigenous systems and Israeli-collaborated SkyStriker drone, along with Russian Pechora and OSA-AK missiles during Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan’s Increasing Dependence on China: China supplied 95% of Pakistan’s arms imports in the 2020s, up from 41% in the 2010s and 19% in the 2000s.
Decline of U.S. Role in Pakistan’s Arms Supplies: The U.S. share in Pakistan’s arms imports fell from 67% (2000s) to 0.85% (2020s), showing strategic distancing.
Chinese and Turkish Weapons in Pakistan’s Arsenal: Pakistan used Chinese-origin PL-15 missiles and Turkish-origin UAVs in recent military operations.
Air Power Procurement Patterns – India: Over 55% of India’s air-related weapons in the 2020s were imported from France, the U.K., and Israel.
Air Power Procurement Patterns – Pakistan: Pakistan sourced between 50% and 85% of its air-related weapons from China over the last three decades.
Global Arms Export Trends – U.S. Dominance: In the 2020s, the U.S. accounted for over 65% of total global arms exports.
Decline in Russia’s Global Arms Export Share: Russia’s share dropped to just 5% in the 2020s, coinciding with the Ukraine war.
China’s Limited Global Arms Export Role: Despite low global share (<2%), China directed 33% of its arms exports to Pakistan in the 2020s.