South Asia sees a major power rivalry between China and India. As Beijing seeks to expand its presence in the region with its capital and exports of arms, India is digging its nails to protect its traditional place of influence.
After a decade of China ‘s delivery of missile-to-air missile systems to Bangladesh, the country is determined to find a place of care and remodeling that could also serve as a line for the production of the same arrow and its improved varieties, reports the Tribune.
The Chinese company, Vanguard, has reportedly been nominated as a partner for the FM-90 arrow repair center to be established in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi Air Force, Navy, and Army are all armed with this arrow. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army also has a similar missile system.
The facility is still under construction as the arrow became embroiled in controversy in Bangladesh last year. Due to some technical concerns, the FM-90 had crawled under the scanner, along with other shipments of weapons from China. Questions were then raised about the longevity of Chinese weapons.
According to experts, part of the CV-102 system of FM-90 was found to be malfunctioning due to an increase in electrical activity, which caused damage to the glands and arteries of the klystron.
China enters South Asia through its access to the Indian Ocean. The move is aimed at improving its presence in the Indian Ocean in order to reduce its dependence on the Malacca Strait, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Bangladesh is surrounded by India on three sides and the Bay of Bengal on the fourth.
Although regarded as India’s global climate partner, Bangladesh maintains close trade and military ties with China. Both countries signed the Defense Cooperation Pact in 2002, which includes the production of weapons.
Naval vessels, naval weapons, missiles, and missile systems are among the finances of Chinese troops and supplies to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is the second largest arms buyer in China after Pakistan. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Bangladesh bought about 17% of all Chinese military exports between 2016 and 2020.
What is the FM-90?
The FM-90 system, which is mounted on a truck, is an improved version of the “Hong Qi,” an arrow developed by China National Precision Machinery Import and Export (CNPMIEC) in 1998. In 2011, he was brought to Bangladesh. The air defense is capable of shooting down planes, arrows, and drones in all weather conditions.
It installs a 25-mile radius and can launch simultaneous attacks against a number of targets, including ultra-low-altitude cruise missiles, high-altitude missiles, and anti-radiation arrows over a distance of more than 16 miles.
For maximum power against active / idle jumps, the ground-based air defense system includes a VLSI-based computer, dual-track tracking radar, infrared camera, and digital digital technology.
The Bangladesh region is a strategic asset of the country. Surrounded on one side by a friendly country that helped it gain independence in Pakistan and on the other big sea, it faces fewer common security challenges than its South Asian neighbors.
The strategic location and speed of its development are set in an area bordered by China and India.
China-Bangladesh-India Triangle
China’s growing influence in the countries of South Asia and the Indian Ocean is seen as a natural threat to India as it seeks to play the role of a defense provider.
The bonhomie and military alliance between China and Pakistan, India’s two enemies, are already a headache in its military. China has slowly invaded Bangladesh over the past two decades, despite the proximity of India and the close cultural ties with India.
In 2016, Bangladesh joined the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. However, it did not allow Chinese investment in deep maritime ports that could be suitable for the presence of a Marine Corps.
Dhaka has canceled the Sonadia deep-sea project, and instead approved another in Payra, “accessible only through a 75-kilometer canal, an unlikely place for a naval base”, writes Sudha Ramachandran in The Diplomat.
Last year, the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh also warned Dhaka about being part of the US-led Quad Initiative China considers it an Indo-Pacific group intended to contain.
Bangladesh relies on China for its military need on a large scale. In 2008, Indian defense expert Gurmeet Kanwal stated that Bangladeshi missiles, built with Chinese assistance, are part of Beijing ‘s plan to circumnavigate India.
He pointed out that China has equipped all the South Asian provinces around India with missiles over the years, and Dhaka is the most recent.
However, New Delhi was trying to improve its relations with Dhaka, in order to preserve the lost area. India had previously provided Bangladesh $ 500 million to buy defense equipment, and the Bangladeshi Army acquired 18 120mm ammunition in December 2020 as part of a joint military operation. Missile shipments may be expected in the future based on the Indian export list.