India increases defense budget, wants to counterbalance China – nrc.nl

India increases defense budget, wants to counterbalance China – nrc.nl

An air base in Bangalore, India. Photo EPA / Jagadeesh NV

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India will spend more on defense. The defense budget goes on 1 April by 7.9 percent up, announced Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during the presentation of the budget for next year. The Indian government wants to try to close the gap with China, which for years investing in, among other ships and submarines for the Indian Ocean.

The budget increases to 2.47 trillion rupees, converted 35.6 billion euro, reports Reuters. The Indian armed forces asking for years for investments in the military in the form of ships, artillery and warplanes. The Army and Navy warned that the expansion and modernization went too slow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since taking

office last year showed a strong determination to modernize the Indian armed forces, NRC correspondent wrote in India Joeri Boom (€ ) earlier this month after the publication of a number of major defense projects. Thus, the Indian government gave its approval to the construction of advanced naval vessels worth over 7 billion. Earlier, according to Indian media had already decided to build additional nuclear submarines.

Both projects are seen as a response to the activities of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean, wrote tree.

India feels threatened by the growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean. Late last year, gave Sri Lanka, just below India’s southernmost point, permission for mooring Chinese submarines. This resulted in India for concern

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