Indian and Pakistani Defense Industries and Requirements

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00972A000100480002-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 1998
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 26, 1969
• Content Type: IM

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
26 March 1969
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
Indian and Pakistani Defense
Industries and Requirements
1. INDIA
a. Production -- India has expanded and
modernized defense plants inherited from the colo-
nial period and is now largely self-sufficient in
infantry weapons and ammunition. Otherwise, the
Indians are still almost entirely dependent on
foreign sources and technology, although plants
have been set up to manufacture some key items
under license. These plants remain dependent
upon imports for at least 30 percent of their
inputs.
The situation by service is as follows:
(1) Ground Weapons
In addition to establishing
plants for producing infantry weapons,
ammunition, and vehicles ranging in
size from jeeps to 5-ton trucks, India
has also set up a plant to manufacture
tanks under license from the UK. Orig-
inal plans called for the production of
350 tanks by 1970, but to date only
slightly more than 100 have been pro-
duced. India hoped to utilize the
tanks as replacements for the imported
Soviet medium tanks. The plant still
relies on the UK for components, even
though production has been underway
since 1966. Heavy and special-purpose
military vehicles are all imported.
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(2) Aircraft
India is producing under license
two types of fighter aircraft: the MIG-21
Fishbed, which was developed in the USSR;
and the Gnat, which was developed in the
UK. In addition, helicopters are being
produced under French license. Gnat
production will be phased out in 1970,
but MIG-21 production will continue
probably until 1975. The MIG-21 manu-
facturing project has slipped by two
years or more forcing India to buy addi-
tional MIG-21s from the USSR.
All of India's other require-
ments for military aircraft must be filled
from imports. Hope that indigenous HF-24
fighter-bomber production might fill some
requirements has pretty well vanished.
India has imported Hunters from the UK
and SU-7s from the USSR to meet its needs.
(3) Naval Weapons
India has a limited capability
to build naval vessels. Through a li-
censing agreement with the UK, India is
scheduled to build three Leander-class
frigates at Bombay. Although initial
Indian plans called for construction of
the first of these ships by 1971, it is
unlikely to be completed by that time.
Major portions of the ship
armament must be imported.
and its
All other
major combatant ships must be purchased
abroad.
b. Weapons Mix and Age
--
India's
weap-
ons inventory is a heterogeneous
mix,
largely
im-
ported or produced under foreign license. Weapons
origins represent the world's major arms-producing
countries. Much of the inventory is obsolete.
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(1) Ground Force Equipment
Prior to 1962 most of India's
small arms were of British manufacture
or design. Much of the earlier equip-
ment dates from World War II. Current
production, which appears adequate to
meet requirements, is based largely on
modifications of British designs.
Prior to 1965, the UK was the
major source of India's armor. The
Vijayanta tank is produced under British
license. France had been a close second
in the supply of armor. Holdings of
British and French armor date largely
from the 1950s. Procurement of armor
since 1964 has been primarily from the
USSR and Czechoslovakia.
Following the Chinese Communist
attack on India in 1962, the US provided
India with large quantities of ground
force equipment as grant aid, mainly in
support of mountain/infantry divisions.
US military aid was discontinued at the
time of the Indo-Pakistani War in 1965.
In 1967 India contracted to
purchase the SS-11 antitank missile from
France.
(2) Air Force Equipment
The bulk of India's older air
force inventory consists of British and
French fighters and bombers which were
procured during the 1950s and early
1960s.
The USSR has been the major
source of fighter aircraft since 1963.
Most have been MIG-21s procured directly
or produced under license. SU-7 Fitter
fighter-bomber aircraft have been pur-
chased.
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Agreements signed with the USSR
in the early 1960s provided for the pro-
curement of surface-to-air missiles and
air-to-air missiles. India also has a
license to produce the K-13 air-to-air
missile.
(3) Naval Forces Equipment
Most of the ships in the Indian
navy are of British origin and World War
II vintage.
In 1965 India turned to the USSR
for naval procurement and signed an agree-
ment to purchase at least three submarines,
a depot ship, five Petya-class escort
patrols, and seven lesser ships.
c. Requirements -- During the next few
years India will remain dependent upon imports of
precision components and sub-assemblies to support
domestic manufacture of military equipment including
fighter aircraft, tanks and trucks.
India will be totally dependent upon
imports to replace its obsolescent force of Canberra
bombers. Attempts already have been made to purchase
TU-16 Badger bombers from the USSR.
The requirement for helicopters will
probably increase greatly if India implements a
proposal for improving its mobile capability against
insurgent groups. Limited domestic production is
unlikely to fill this requirement.
Additional naval ships are likely to
be required if India expands its role in the Indian
Ocean.
India will continue to be dependent
upon the USSR but will seek to limit the extent of
this dependence through greater self-sufficiency and
by purchasing arms wherever they are available.
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2. PAKISTAN
a. Production -- Pakistan has only one
operational defense plant. Current production is
limited to small arms, ammunition, and antitank
guided missiles. A second plant is under con-
struction with Chinese Communist aid. It will
produce similar items but will not eliminate de-
pendence upon imports for ground force requirements.
Pakistan has no capability for aircraft or ship
construction.
b. Weapons Mix and Age -- The Pakistani
weapons inventory indicates a much greater reliance
upon a single foreign source of supply for a given
time period. Until independence in 1947, most
Pakistani arms were of British origin. These were
of World War II vintage and many are still in the
inventory.
From the early 1950s through 1965,
the US was almost the exclusive supplier of air
and ground force equipment. Following the US ban
on exporting lethal military equipment to Pakistan
in 1965, Pakistan turned to other sources for war
material.
(1) Ground Force Equipment
Much of the ground force equip-
ment provided by the US and the UK was of
World War I-I vintage.
Limited quantities of more
modern equipment have been purchased
in Western Europe. Since 1965, Pakistan
has received medium tanks, trucks, and
other ground force equipment--from small
arms to 122mm howitzers--from Communist
China.
(2) Air Force Equipment
Between 1956 and 1958, the US
supplied Pakistan with F-86 Sabrejets and
B-57 bombers. F-104 jet fighters were
provided between 1961. and 1965. After
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1965 Pakistan obtained MIG-19 Farmer
fighter aircraft and a few IL-28 Beagle
bombers from Communist China, and Mirage
III fighter-bombers from France.
(3) Naval Equipment
----------------
The UK is the source of most of
the Pakistani ships. They are largely
of World War II vintage. A submarine
is on loan from the US and midget sub-
marines have been purchased from Italy.
c. Requirements -- Pakistan will remain
dependent upon imports for almost all of its arms
requirements. Priority?will be given to the pro-
curement of modern aircraft and armor. Arms will
be procured wherever they are available. Although
the USSR is moving into Pakistan as an arms supplier,
military procurement from Communist China probably
will continue.
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