New threat to India, Turkey's AMRAAM missile is bringing Pakistan!

Turkey has become particularly active in the Middle East's defense power competition in recent years. This important NATO member country has now signed a contract to buy more than a hundred 'AMRAAM' (AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) missiles from the United States. The financial amount of this contract is estimated at 300 million US dollars, which is considered a complete military package including technology transfer, maintenance and various versions.

The 'AMRAAM' missile is a medium-range air-to-air weapon, the '120C' version of which is currently recognized as one of the most advanced versions in the world. It can hit targets 180 km away at a speed of about 5,000 km per hour through a solid-fuel rocket motor. This missile can be successfully integrated with the US F-15, F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, making this weapon a unique example of modern warfare technology.

Although Turkey's arms deal is to increase its own defense capabilities, its international impact is directly affecting the geopolitics of South Asia. This deal is being viewed with great suspicion, especially from India. The main reason for India's concern is the growing military alliance between Turkey and Pakistan. Turkey has already supplied Pakistan with advanced drone technology and other defense equipment, which has been used in anti-India activities on the Kashmir issue.

According to Indian defense experts, the weapons that are coming to Turkey through this missile deal could reach Pakistan in the future and those weapons could one day be used against India. This fear is based on a terrible experience of the past. In 2019, 40 members of the Indian paramilitary force were killed in a suicide terrorist attack on a convoy of Indian paramilitary forces in Pulwama. In response, India carried out air strikes in Balakot, Pakistan, which created extreme tension between the two countries.

In the context of this tension, the first Indo-Pakistani air war took place after 1971. At that time, Pakistan fired the US-made 'AMRAM' missile from its F-16 fighter jet and targeted the Indian fighter jet. Indian military sources said that Pakistan had used this missile, and that it was originally acquired from the US. Since Pakistan only has the F-16 capable of carrying this missile, this claim is realistic in a sense.

Since this incident, New Delhi has become extremely vigilant and concerned about the 'AMRAM' missile. Now if Turkey acquires this same missile and later somehow reaches Pakistan, then it is feared that the situation could take a terrible turn again.

Turkey currently has the largest F-16 fleet among NATO member countries. The country has about 270 F-16 fighter jets, which no other European country has in such a large number. As a result, this modern missile is strategically beneficial for Turkey, but India also feels that it is a potential threat if there is an incident of sharing technology or weapons with Pakistan.

Several Indian media outlets and defense analysts say, “If weapons made by an ally like the United States end up in the hands of an enemy of an ally, it poses not only a diplomatic but also a security risk.” When sophisticated weapons like the AMRAAM missile find their way between two countries with which India has complicated diplomatic relations, it is natural for India to be concerned about the future use of those weapons.

According to high-level sources in the Indian Defense and Foreign Ministries, New Delhi is considering initiating diplomatic discussions with the United States and Turkey on the issue. In addition, India has also started thinking anew about its own air defense system and counterattack capabilities.

According to military analysts, the Turkey-Pakistan military closeness is no longer limited to arms sales, but is developing into a larger strategic axis. This axis could change the geopolitical balance in South Asia, especially in the context of India-China relations, where Pakistan is already a close ally of China.

The question that is currently coming to the fore is – how much will this trilateral relationship (Turkey-Pakistan-China) and their strategic cooperation affect the stability of South Asia? India's diplomatic and defense circles are now busy finding the answer to this question. And in the meantime, the 'AMRAM' missile deal has become a new warning sign and a cause of headache for India.