'Shock, confusion, and paralysis reigned.' 'Pakistan was caught in a most embarrassing situation. It could neither claim credit for the operation nor admit to a dismal intelligence failure and lack of army preparedness.'
The United States will replace two P-3C Orion maritime surveillance planes of the Pakistan Navy that were destroyed in a terrorist attack on a naval airbase in Karachi last month, according to a media report on Saturday.
The US Navy is offering eight Orions from its own inventory at a much-reduced price.
The coming together of the Quad and the Australia-UK-US grouping would be a formidable adversary, moving toward the creation of a 'thousand ship navy' that reins in the PLA navy in the Indo-Pacific.
Pakistan recently took delivery of eight P-3C Orion patrol aircraft from the US.
Ahead of the Indo-US military exercise 'Malabar' in the Bay of Bengal from April 9, guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, one of the vessels in the seventh fleet of the United States Navy, docked at Chennai port on Saturday.
US supplied surveillance jets were the "prime targets" of Taliban militants who possibly received "inside support and help" for their Rambo-style attack on Mehran naval airbase in the Pakistani port city of Karachi
Validating New Delhi's fears that Islamabad was using US security aid to beef up its military against it, the Obama administration has accused Pakistan of illegally modifying the Harpoon anti-ship missile and maritime surveillance aircraft P-3C for land attacks for potential use against India.
The proposed $1.2 billion arms package would be the largest US foreign military sale to Pakistan since sanctions against the country were lifted in late 2001.
The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of two potential foreign military sales of Harpoon and Sidewinder missiles to Pakistan.
For the first time, the US Navy will include long-range maritime and submarine hunter aircraft P3C Orions in the exercises.
'Pak gets first of eight Orion aircraft'
Speaking at the annual Republic Day military parade attended for the first time by troops from China and Saudi Arabia, Hussain said: "Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India and wants resolution of the Kashmir dispute, which is the unfinished agenda of the partition."
It was for the first time that a Chinese spy ship was detected in Japanese water since a submarine was spotted in 2004. The latest intrusion came less than a week after another Chinese naval vessel sailed near islands at the centre of a Tokyo-Beijing sovereignty dispute in the East China Sea.
'The Pakistanis were lulled adequately to provide one of the fundamental prerequisites for successful execution of such an option: Surprise.' 'The other requisite: Deception in terms of selection of areas for launch/time of offensive action,' explains Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).
In the lead up to this week Indo-US Strategic Dialogue, for which United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, will be coming to Delhi, the Indo-US defence engagement is even more intense than usual.
When a Chinese warship entered Japanese waters, the Indian commander called on China to maintain discipline at sea. Dr Rajaram Panda explains the significance of the Malabar exercises between India, Japan and the US.
Even as France mourns the bloodiest terrorist attack for 20 years, let's take a look at some major standoffs witnessed in the past:
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances