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Book Chapter

India: Capable but Constrained

The Indian Armed Forces are large and competent, but they face significant internal security challenges as well as major external dangers from China and Pakistan.

published by
United States Army War College Press
 on October 30, 2020

Source: United States Army War College Press

Key Points

  • The Indian Armed Forces are large and competent, but they face significant internal security challenges as well as major external dangers from China and Pakistan.
  • An underperforming economy has constrained military budgets and largely confined the Indian military to ensuring internal security and protecting the country’s frontiers.
  • Indian policy makers have expressed an interest in the country playing a more significant role in the wider Indo-Pacific region, but they still eschew the kind of strategic partnerships that would make enhanced power projection possible.

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This chapter was originally published in A Hard Look at Hard Power: Assessing the Defense Capabilities of Key US Allies and Security Partners—Second Edition, by the United States Army War College Press.

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.