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Lalmonirhat air base was built by the Royal Air Force in 1931. It was used for conducting aerial combat mission. The Indian government fears that if Bangladesh allows Chinese Air Force to use Lalmonirhat air base the vulnerability of its chicken's neck will increase exponentially.

I'm creating this thread to gain insight and research into what our options are now with the evident defeat and no doubt failure of Chinese and Turkish weaponry used by Pakistan, going on downstream?

Who can we approach besides the usual suspects in the US and the EU?

Any comments and suggestions welcome as this seems to be the only way out for an embattled Pakistan now.

Built on the proven foundation of the amphibious SUPERAV platform, the new variant is designed specifically for terrestrial operations, with enhanced mobility, survivability, and mission adaptability.

In a post on its official social media account, IVECO said: “Following the success of the SUPERAV amphibious platform, chosen by the U.S. Marine Corps in the ACV programme and by the Italian Navy in the VBA programme, IDV has added a land-oriented version to its product portfolio: the SUPERAV Land.”




While retaining around 85% component commonality with its amphibious predecessor, the SUPERAV Land has undergone refinements to suit ground-focused missions. The vehicle is shorter by 450mm and lower by 190mm, which reduces its visual and physical profile while improving off-road performance. Unlike the original version, the Land model omits amphibious subsystems such as propellers and bilge pumps—trading waterborne capabilities for additional ballistic protection.

According to the company, this weight reduction—equivalent to that of a medium-caliber unmanned turret—has been reinvested into armor, enhancing crew survivability on the battlefield. The troop capacity has also been adjusted from 13 to 8 personnel, aligning with typical land mission requirements.

At the core of the SUPERAV Land is the same powertrain featured in the original amphibious variant: a 700-horsepower Iveco Cursor 16 turbocharged diesel engine delivering 3,000Nm of torque, paired with an Allison 4800 SP automatic transmission. The vehicle features a McPherson hydro-pneumatic suspension system for improved terrain handling and includes advanced steering options such as a standard second-axle steering and an optional fourth-axle low-speed counter-steering system to improve maneuverability in confined areas.

The vehicle also incorporates a digital vetronic suite with 900Ah of onboard power and offers third-party subsystem integration, diagnostics, and central tire inflation for adaptability across various mission profiles.

With its balance of shared components and focused enhancements, the SUPERAV Land positions itself as a modular, battlefield-ready platform for armed forces seeking modern solutions for land operations.

The EU is set to provide a 15-million-euro ($17.1 million) assistance measure to the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia to strengthen its defense capacities and operational readiness.

The support will be processed through the union’s European Peace Facility (EPF), and is expected to supply the country with resources related to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Equipment provided as part of the package will include military vehicles, communication systems, and combat training supplies.

“Our support will help North Macedonia contribute to regional stability and security, which is not only important for the Western Balkans but also for the EU,” EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy High Representative Kaja Kallas shared.

The assistance now brings EPF support for North Macedonia to a total of 38 million euros ($43.3 million), following packages in 2023 and 2024.

The European Peace Facility​

Established in 2021, the EPF aims to deliver military aid to partner countries to preserve peace and bolster international security and stability.

Last year, the facility approved an assistance package worth 13.25 million euros ($13.9 million) for the Jordanian Armed Forces to counter rising regional tensions in the Middle East.

Previously, it also allotted 68 million euros ($71.8 million) worth of assistance measures to partner nations Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Rwanda as a means to enhance the countries’ tactical support, military engineering, and peacekeeping capabilities.

Historic Kill”: S-400 Shot Down Pakistan’s AWACS Aircraft 314 KM Away During Indo-Pak War: Sources.​

Western media had worked overtime to discredit S-400 (NATO codename SA-21 ‘Growlers’) during the Ukraine-Russia conflict. However, the recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan has been a big triumph for the S-400 ‘Triumf’ as it intercepted long-range projectiles fired by Pakistan with 100 percent efficacy.


The S-400 surface-to-air missile shot down multiple Pakistani air-launched cruise missiles and drones, and proved its real worth during the India-Pakistan brief war.

India purchased five S-400 units from Russia in a USD 5.4 billion deal initiated by former defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

As global sanctions were levied against Russia, the US tried to dissuade India from going ahead with the deal. The deliveries were made even as the United States has yet to decide on a waiver for India under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The EurAsian Times has learned from reliable sources that the Indian S-400 has created a world record by securing the longest kill by an SAM by hitting an aerial target at 314 kilometers. With the launch, the SAM took out a force multiplier of the Pakistan Air Force’s Saab Erieye-2000 flying radar.

“Greatest Spy” Ever? Why Egypt-Born Mossad Agent, Eli Cohen, Continues To Fascinate The Modern World

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This is the second loss of the Saab Erieye-2000 flying radar, the source told EurAsian Times, on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

India’s leading media outlet, Hindustan Times, appears to be validating the source’s claims of AWACS shootdown by S-400.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Air Marshal Masood Akhtar (retired) disclosed that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) lost an AWACS aircraft during India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ on the night of May 9–10 to a BrahMos missile strike.

“They (Indian forces) fired four back-to-back Brahmos surface-to-surface missiles… surface-to-surface or air-to-surface, I am not sure. The (Pakistani) pilots rushed to secure their aircraft, but the missiles kept on coming, and unfortunately, the fourth one hit the hangar at Bholari (airbase), where one of our AWACS was standing. It was damaged and casualties were also reported…” he said in an interview.

Sukhoi Su-57: Russia Offers “Golden Deal” To Bridge The Harrowing Stealth Gap With China; Will India Bite The Bullet?

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The Indian S-400 surface-to-air missile also managed to shoot down multiple air-launched cruise missiles and drones fired from Pakistan.

missile uses a 143 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead, has a range of 250-400 km, and is an ABM with a 60 km altitude. Nearly 70-80 percent of the technology, including missile storage containers, launchers, and radars, was adapted from the S-300, which has been in service since 2007. The same would be the upgrade from S-400 to S-500.

Russia has ordered ten S-500 battalions to replace the S-300 systems gradually. The first under-development unit was deployed around Moscow in October 2021.

S-400 ‘Growler’​

The S-400 has been designed to engage targets up to 400 km away using 40N6 missiles, but it also deploys the 48N6 missile with a 250 km range. The S-400 is prized for its ability to engage up to 80 targets simultaneously, and its high situational awareness provided by multiple complementary radars, which allow it to engage stealth targets reliably.

The road-mobile air defense system is highly manoeuvrable and has successfully thwarted Pakistan’s attempt to saturate it and take it down.

The S-400’s launchers, radars, and command centres can be quickly redeployed after firing, making them extremely difficult to neutralise. This layered system allowed Indian forces to create difficult-to-penetrate anti-access area-denial (A2AD) zones.

The S-400 forms the backbone of the Russian Air Force’s surface-to-air missile arsenal. It is by far the most widely operated long-range air defence system in any country, with over 30 regiments currently in service.

readiness” over prolonged periods and enable swift response. To add to it, they can be used to counter ballistic missiles as well. “A well-networked, integrated area defense capability will ensure the protection of high-priority targets by multiple weapons providing defense in depth,” the doctrine postulates.

India faces expanded security challenges as Hybrid Warfare has blurred the lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians. Hybrid Warfare makes the spectrum of war “nebulous” as it is a war in which one of the major participants is not a State but rather a violent non-state actor or non-state actor sponsored by a State.

BofA Survey: Fund Managers favour India over Japan, China for equity exposure​

India has become the top equity market in Asia Pacific, according to BofA Securities' survey, favored by 42% of fund managers. Strong consumption, infrastructure development, and supply chain realignments drive this preference, surpassing Japan and China in the rankings.​

India has emerged as the most preferred equity market in the Asia Pacific region, according to the latest Fund Manager Survey (FMS) by BofA Securities. Backed by positive sentiment around infrastructure development, strong consumption trends, and ongoing supply chain realignments, Indian equities have overtaken Japan to secure the top spot among fund managers.

A net 42 percent of respondents in the BofA Securities’ May survey favored India over other Asia Pac markets. Japan followed at 39 percent, while China, which had previously ranked lowest, climbed to third place with 6 percent preference. Singapore trailed at 3 percent, and Thailand remained the least favored market in the region.
“India emerges as the most favored market, perceived as a likely beneficiary of supply chain re-alignments following tariff effects,” BofA Securities noted in its survey findings. In terms of sectoral focus, infrastructure and consumption continue to dominate investor interest within Indian markets.
The survey included responses from 208 global panelists managing $522 billion in assets under management (AUM). Of these, 174 participants with $458 billion in AUM responded to the global FMS segment, while 109 panelists with $234 billion AUM took part in the regional Asia Pac segment, covering the period between May 2 and May 8, 2025.

India overtakes Japan to become world’s 4th largest economy: NITI Aayog CEO​

India has overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy and is now poised to surpass Germany to claim the third position within the next 2.5 to 3 years, according to NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam.

“We are the fourth-largest economy as I speak. We are a USD 4 trillion economy, and this is not my data—it’s IMF data. India today is larger than Japan,” said Subrahmanyam during a press conference following the 10th NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting.

“Only the United States, China, and Germany are currently ahead of us. If we stick to what is being planned and thought through, it’s just a matter of another 2 to 3 years before we become the third-largest economy,” he added.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its World Economic Outlook report released earlier this month, stated that India is set to become the fourth-largest economy in 2025. India’s nominal GDP is projected to rise to $4,187.017 billion, surpassing Japan’s estimated $4,186.431 billion.

India continues to be the world’s fastest-growing major economy and is the only country expected to record over 6% growth over the next two years.

This rapid growth is expected to push India’s GDP to $5,584.476 billion by 2028, enabling it to overtake Germany and become the third-largest economy.

Germany, meanwhile, is projected to see no GDP growth in 2025, followed by a modest 0.9% in 2026. The country is anticipated to be among the hardest hit in Europe due to the ongoing global trade war. Its GDP is forecast to reach $5,251.928 billion by 2028.

Japan is also expected to suffer due to the trade war, with its economic growth stagnating at 0.6% in both 2025 and 2026.

The United States, which remains the world’s largest economy, is projected to have a GDP of $30,507.217 billion in 2025, followed by China at $19,231.705 billion.

However, the US—widely viewed as the catalyst of the current global tariff tensions—is expected to see its GDP growth slow to 1.8% in 2025, and further to 1.7% in 2026, according to the IMF.

The Euro Area is projected to grow by just 0.8% in 2025, with a mild recovery to 1.2% in 2026. France is forecast to post growth rates of 0.6% and 1% for those two years, respectively.

Spain is expected to outperform most European peers with a growth rate of 2.5% in 2025, though it is forecast to slow to 1.8% in 2026. The United Kingdom is projected to grow by 1.1% in 2025 and 1.4% in 2026.

IANS

It could prompt China to block the Brahmaputra River, which supplies around 30 percent of India’s fresh water and about 44 percent of its total hydropower potential.


@Krishna with Flute @Sharma Ji @Lulldapull @Vsdoc @Jiangnan @Bilal9 @Saif @Bagheera0084 @Paitoo @Mrloveday


Tensions between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan have escalated sharply after a militant attack at Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Indian-administrated Kashmir, which resulted in the death of at least 26 tourists.

The attack has triggered angry calls for retaliation in India. Without providing any evidence, India has blamed Pakistan for the attack and taken a host of measures to ratchet up tensions. These measures include termination of visa services for Pakistanis, downgrading of ties, and above all, a unilateral decision to suspend the historic Indus Waters Treaty.

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is a transboundary water agreement signed in 1960 that allows both India and Pakistan to share water from the Indus basin. The agreement has survived many conflicts, diplomatic breakdowns, and near-constant tensions between the two countries for over 60 years.

Pakistan has responded to the Indian decisions by closing its airspace for Indian aircraft and downgrading ties. It has threatened to suspend all bilateral agreements between the two countries, including the Simla Accord of 1972, which validates the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh region.

India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty is a serious gamble. The decision has the potential to foment chaos and unrest in Pakistan — the Indus is Pakistan’s lifeline — and bring the two nuclear-armed nations close to the possibility of a full-scale war in the near future. Pakistan cannot afford to have its water shut down by India, in any form or manner.

This was made clear at yesterday’s meeting of Pakistan’s National Security Committee to discuss formal responses to India’s measures.

“Water is a Vital National Interest of Pakistan, a lifeline for its 240 million people, and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs,” the statement read. “Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of National Power.”

India’s decision to suspend the IWT marks a dangerous precedent for how the two countries manage their water resources together.

India’s announcement, however, doesn’t mean that New Delhi will be able to immediately shut down water supply to Pakistan at a scale that could make some significant dent in flows during the high monsoon season — when Pakistan stores most of its water.

The Indus Waters Treaty gives Pakistan access to the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers. These are enormous rivers and carry tens of billions of cubic meters of water between May and September, the months when ice melts and rivers on the Indus basin flow.

Currently, India has some upstream infrastructure on these rivers. However, none of the existing infrastructure base has the capacity to hold back water that enters Pakistan as part of the treaty. “These are run-of-the-river hydropower projects with very limited live storage. Even if India were to coordinate releases across all its existing dams, all it may be able to do is slightly shift the timing of flows,” according to Hassan Khan, an environmental policy expert at Tufts University.

It will take years, massive infrastructure development, and billions of dollars in investments for India to actually disrupt Pakistan’s water share. Moreover, there are risks of flooding in Indian-administrated Kashmir along with other geographical challenges to any efforts aimed at building water diversion infrastructure in the Kashmir region.

However, after India’s announcement, the real threat lies in the uncertainty ahead and the dangers that debates over suspending water flows may cause in the coming months and years.

The Indus Waters Treaty is a binding agreement between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank. The agreement does not contain any provision for unilateral suspension. Any official comment, announcement or move by India regarding the IWT, even if made for rhetorical reasons, will carry the risk of a conflict with Pakistan.

Moreover, New Delhi’s unilateral suspension of the treaty sets a dangerous precedent in the region that could backfire on India. For instance, China could mirror India’s controversial move by blocking the Brahmaputra River. The Brahmaputra supplies around 30 percent of India’s fresh water resources and about 44 percent of the country’s total hydropower potential. China is building major dams on the Brahmaputra and could find justification for further constructions in India’s controversial move on the IWT.

Besides, India’s decision could force Pakistan into fast-tracking efforts to build dams in its part of Kashmir with Chinese cooperation. Pakistan and China are already collaborating on massive dam projects, including Diamer-Bhasha, Dasu, and Mohmand, and India’s recent threats will likely bring greater focus and urgency to these developments.

India should not forget that China is a major stakeholder in these projects and has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan’s hydroelectric power sector.

In the long run, if India tries to divert, block, or significantly reduce Pakistan’s share of Indus waters, Pakistan’s military doctrine permits a kinetic response. India should consider the fact that a decision to make Pakistan water-scarce can only lead to a war as a last resort for survival for the country.

The United States and the World Bank are likely to intervene behind the scenes to prevent the complete breakdown of the IWT to avoid the prospect of a wider conflict. At best, India may try to use this new dynamic to renegotiate the treaty with Pakistan. India has tried this for years and may follow on this path with a renewed resolve.

Instead of escalation, renegotiation under international mediation and forums is the only viable path, unless both countries are prepared for a wider war, which will not have any winners.

India to push for international financial measures against Pakistan, source says

Reuters

May 23, 2025



India will push the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global financial crime watchdog, to add arch-rival Pakistan to its “grey list”, a top government source in New Delhi said on Friday.

Pakistan was taken off the FATF grey list in 2022, boosting its reputation among lenders - which is essential for the crisis-hit economy.

India will also oppose upcoming World Bank funding for Pakistan, amid renewed tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, the government source said.