NEW DELHI -- While India's immediate military aim is to build a potent strike force against Pakistan, it also harbors long-term plans to field a credible deterrent against China.
This reflects the fact that although military efforts to counter Pakistan, such as the strengthened deployment along India's western frontiers, are usually given precedence, the perceived threat from China remains very much on the radar.
A case in point is India's recent decision to buttress its military presence in the Northeast frontiers by basing its latest "air dominance" Russian Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters there. The move is meant to check China's buildup of military infrastructure in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and south China.