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NATION DECEMBER 04, 2020 | The Indian Eye 9

into its default Middle Kingdom inter-dependence, rather than Beigun acknowledged during a Meanwhile, amid threat
mode. Since 1000 BC, China a slavish hierarchy lorded over New Delhi address on October from the Chinese Air Force
has perceived itself as the supe- by Washington. Recognising 12 that “the model of the last on the Line of Actual Control
rior Middle Kingdom surround- that the Middle Powers need to century of mutual defence trea- (LAC) in the ongoing conflict,
ed by inferior tributary states. cooperate but reserve strategic ties with a heavy in-country US the Indian Air Force (IAF) car-
It has also challenged In- space for themselves, US Dep- troop presence,” is not neces- ried out around 10 testfirings
dia’s regional heft in South Asia uty Secretary of State Stephen sarily the Quad’s future. of the home-grown Akash air
and the Indian Ocean Region. defence missiles to validate dif-
Its Belt and Road Initiative has ferent scenarios to shoot down
become the vehicle for export- enemy aircraft that may violate
ing China’s influence in India’s the Indian air space during con-
immediate and extended neigh- flicts. The testfirings conduct-
bourhood, which includes Ban- ed at the Suryalanka test firing
gladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka range in Andhra Pradesh last
Maldives and the Gulf countries. week were highly successful as
By partnering with the In- a majority of the Akash missiles
do-Pacific Quad, does India fired at the targets scored a di-
lose its strategic autonomy? Not rect hit.
necessarily. The Indo-Pacific “Around 10 Akash missiles
Quad essentially represents a were fired by the Air Force
partnership of Middle Powers during the Combined Guided
bonding with one superpower, Weapons Firing 2020 exercise
but which has experienced a to practice different engage-
relative decline in its power. As chief of the Army staff General mm Naravane, chief of the Naval staff ment scenarios during conflicts
it stands the Quad, on account Admiral Karambir singh, and chief of the Air staff Air chief marshal rKs to shoot down enemy planes.
of its internal power configura- Bhadauria paying homage to the fallen heroes at the National war memo- Most of the missiles scored a
tion, demonstrates a high de- rial, on the occasion of Navy Day, in New Delhi on Friday. direct hit at the target,” govern-
gree of economic and military ment sources said.

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