> Ulhas Joglekar wrote:
>
> >I don't understand the question. I am not sure how joint military
maneuvers
> >contradict what I have said. The US is not about to abandon Pakistan.
>
> No, but the U.S. doesn't go on military dates with just everyone,
> does it? Doing maneuvers together suggests some degree of
> cooperation. How much,
The question How much? is partly answered in the accompanying news report. As I said in the previous post, 70% of India's military hardware comes from Russia. This includes frigates, submarines, fighter aircrafts (MIGs, Sukhois), battle tanks. India's is negotiating purchase of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov from Russia. (India's space programme has also used Russian equipment.) This dependence on Russian hardware is expected to continue. Other important suppliers are France and in the last few years, Israel. Russia is already in NATO. (Shimon Peres suggested on a recent visit to India that India should join NATO !)
>and why?
I don't have a definite answer. If Aijaz Ahmad is to be believed, India is emerging as a junior partner of the US imperialism. Some analysts of strategic affairs see India as an emerging power. See Stephen Cohen, India: Emerging Power (Oxford). The U.S. is beginning to engage this emerging power. There are others who suspect the US is attempting to encircle China with a ring of hostile regimes, India being a link in the chain.
Ulhas