US military supplies to the region and india pakistan military balance.

After the Taliban Air Force, time to battle the Taliban Navy news
09 March 2009
For long, these funds have been allocated to Pakistan under the guise of helping it fight the Global War on Terror (GWOT).

Sometime in February this year, the Pakistan Navy was provided the clearance to acquire three types of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sonobuoys - totaling 445 units - under the Foreign Military Sales programme. This piece of anti-submarine warfare equipment is of the same class as contracted for the US Navy.

Indeed, the contract signed with suppliers is a joint contract for the US and the Pakistan Navy.

The sale was cleared, presumably, even as the Obama administration was instructing General Electric not to operationalise two new LM 2500 gas turbines it has contracted to supply the Indian Navy for its state-of-the-art, indigenously designed, Project 17 stealth frigates.

The first of three frigates, INS Shivalik, is ready to commence sea trials but the programme will now have to go on hold – at least for a few months –with the Obama administration reviewing its military relations with a number of countries, including India.

Here is the complete article by domain-b

The article goes on to analyse why it is that USA is doing what it is doing.

USA is equipping Pakistani military forces for free, the purpose is to restore some confidence into them and keep them engaged in the war USA and its allies are fighting in the region.

The equipment is for free due to the well known fact that Pakistan can not afford to support its military forces any more.

We have to remember that for USA to keep its pride in Afghanistan, feeding biscuits to Pakistan is necessary, just like in the good old "soviet invasion of Afghanistan" days (i think this is a stupid approach, however that is what is happening).

The article focuses too much on the equipment side, these equipments are a part of the equation, if we ordered them, USA will not decline handing them over to us.

The Pakistani Navy is not capable of providing the basic number of ships and aircrafts required to even make their presence felt in any regional conflict with us, from the shipbuilding and acquisition plan for the next decade or two, they will not achieve this capability any time soon, while we will keep on adding to the numbers and types.

I bet Pakistan is busy lobbying in USA to get more military material and we are busy lobbying against it.

The GE LM 2500 turbine that the author is angry about is hold up due to differences in the current administrations view of including these components into foreign military sales (requiring deeper level of authorisation), its not a ploy to slow down Indian naval build-up.

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PLA-N gets it on. (again)

Pentagon: Chinese Ships Harassed Unarmed Navy Craft in International

On March 4, a Chinese Bureau of Fisheries Patrol vessel used a high-intensity spotlight to illuminate the entire length of the ocean surveillance ship USNS Victorious several times, including its bridge crew. USNS Victorious was conducting lawful military operations in the Yellow Sea, about 125 nautical miles from China's coast. The Chinese ship then crossed Victorious' bow at a range of about 1400 yards in darkness without notice or warning. The following day, a Chinese Y-12 maritime surveillance aircraft conducted 12 fly-bys of Victorious at an altitude of about 400 feet and a range of 500 yards.

On March 5, without notice or warning, a Chinese frigate approached USNS Impeccable and proceeded to cross its bow at a range of approximately 100 yards. This was followed less than two hours later by a Chinese Y-12 aircraft conducting 11 fly-bys of Impeccable at an altitude of 600 feet and a range from 100-300 feet. The frigate then crossed Impeccable's bow yet again, this time at a range of approximately 400-500 yards without rendering courtesy or notice of her intentions.

On March 7, a PRC intelligence collection ship (AGI) challenged USNS Impeccable over bridge-to-bridge radio, calling her operations illegal and directing Impeccable to leave the area or "suffer the consequences."

The Chinese ships involved in the March 8 incident included a Chinese Navy intelligence collection ship (AGI), a Bureau of Maritime Fisheries Patrol Vessel, a State Oceanographic Administration patrol vessel, and two small Chinese-flagged trawlers.

U.S. Navy ships and aircraft routinely operate in international waters around the world, and this area is one such location where we operate regularly. Chinese ships and aircraft routinely steam or fly near U.S. Navy ships in this area, however these actions were considerably more aggressive and unprofessional than we have seen, and greatly increase the risk of collision or miscalculation.

Coastal states do not have a right under international law to regulate foreign military activities in the EEZ. The unprofessional maneuvers by Chinese vessels violated the requirement under international law to operate with due regard for the rights and safety of other lawful users of the ocean. We expect Chinese ships to act responsibly and refrain from provocative activities that could lead to miscalculation or a collision at sea, endangering vessels and the lives of U.S. and Chinese mariners.

On March 8, 2009, five Chinese vessels shadowed and aggressively maneuvered in dangerously close proximity to USNS Impeccable, in an apparent coordinated effort to harass the U.S. ocean surveillance ship while it was conducting routine operations in international waters.

The Chinese vessels surrounded USNS Impeccable, two of them closing to within 50 feet, waving Chinese flags and telling Impeccable to leave the area. Because the vessels' intentions were not known, Impeccable sprayed its fire hoses at one of the vessels in order to protect itself. The Chinese crewmembers disrobed to their underwear and continued closing to within 25 feet.

click here for full report.

Ok when PLA-N was conveying its message the nice way USN did not listen and now they are crying tough play.

what happened to the cold poker faced USN of the 70s and 80s, giving back what they were served.

On the PLA-N side of things, sophisticated spy ship (of a nation who's generals call for more stealth planes to deal with China) are stationed around their territory(who knows collecting data on what type of sub surface activity that PLA-N got angry about), PLA-N does everything it can to warn the Amerikhans, they persist (on account of EEZ and what not), as a result PLA-N gets tough.

PLA-N did behave like a rude bully, collecting intelligence in international waters is fair game for all naval forces, the PLA-N does it happily. It should be clear to USN, if it is going to operate such ships around that area, they better be ready to enforce their presence.

T-AGOS 23 Impeccable
Swath-L (Large) Ocean Surveillance Ship

The mission of the T-AGOS 23 Class ships is to collect, process, and transmit acoustic data in support of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) mission requirements. The ship will be operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) utilizing both civilian and naval personnel to carry out its mission. In short, this vessel is used by the military to track submarines, and is the quietest vessel the government operates, outside of submarines themselves. The unique hull form is one of the most impressive features of this massive 281-foot vessel.

Surveillance ships serve as a stable platform to gather underwater acoustical data. IMPECCABLE was specifically designed to deploy two underwater listening devices called surveillance towed-array sensor system (SURTASS) used to augment the Navy's antisubmarine warfare capability. The SURTASS mission is to gather ocean acoustical data and, through electronic equipment onboard, process and provide rapid transmission of antisubmarine warfare information via satellite to shore stations for evaluation and analysis.

for more information about the ship click here

Scanning for the Ns, eh.