‘India overtakes UK in defence spending, way behind China’

LONDON:INDIA has overtaken the United Kingdom in defence spending and is in top five, but faces considerable lag in comparison to China, which is increasingly challenging Western dominance, a new report on military balance said on Wednesday.

The annual report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) sees China and Russia challenging the global dominance of the United States and its allies. IISS director-general John Chipman said while great-power war is not inevitable, the three leading military powers are "systematically preparing for the possibility of conflict".

India has the fifth largest defence budget in the world, at $52.5 billion in 2017 ($51.1 billion in 2016), overtaking the UK whose defence budget fell from $52.5 billion in 2016 to $50.7 billion in 2017.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which compiles authoritative reports on annual military spending, India’s expenditure on defence was greater than that of the UK in 2016.

Titled ‘Military Balance 2018’, the IISS report details China’s growing military prowess, particularly at sea, adding that Beijing was on track to begin operating the Chengdu J-20 low-observable combat aircraft in frontline squadrons by 2020. “If this happens, the US would lose its monopoly on operational stealthy combat aircraft,” the report said.

Rahul Roy-chaudhury, senior fellow for South Asia at IISS, said: “India's defence budget is still only a third of its neighbour, China. Post-doklam, China continues to develop advanced airborne and land capabilities.”

“India’s traditional influence over the Indian Ocean is also being challenged by China's shipbuilding. Since 2000, China has built more submarines, destroyers, frigates and corvettes than India, Japan and South Korea combined,” he said.