I agree with you that Saudi Arabia is a repulsive authoritarian regime, guilty of extremely questionable behaviour, but they always have been and we have been selling them aircraft since the 1960's.Spitfire9 wrote: ↑09 Apr 2023, 15:54Personally I would prefer it if the UK and other democracies refused to supply countries guilty of butchery inside or outside their territory. Russia, Syria, KSA et al would be examples. While I agree that India, China and other countries have not condemned the clearly condemnable Russian invasion of Ukraine and should have done so, they are not throwing weapons at Russia to aid and abet their criminal behaviour. In contrast UK is throwing weapons at KSA to aid and abet their criminal behaviour in Yemen. Do you think the world should condemn the UK? I do. Should more Typhoons be supplied to KSA? Like Germany, I think not.mrclark303 wrote: ↑09 Apr 2023, 13:44Well, 15 years ago the Indians didn't look the other waySpitfire9 wrote: ↑08 Apr 2023, 19:54
Did you disapprove of US, Sweden, UK and France offering fighters to India for its MMRCA competition 15 years ago? I don't see how the UK will maintain a fighter development capability if it rules customers out as easily as you do. Sure, there won't be a security risk to UK industry when we don't have one any more because we have such high dev costs and such limited production runs that our offerings are too expensive to be commercially successful!
PS India is the world's largest importer of arms. And you don't want us to benefit!!!
with their fingers in their ears, while Russian Orks butchered and raped their way across Ukraine and enjoyed cheap oil and gas as a direct result.
Lovely cheap Gas and oil the colour of blood...
That alone shows where Indian loyalties are firmly planted.
They are clearly not allied to the West, their government lacks any sort of moral compass and they are not to be trusted.
Regarding how India cannot be trusted with advanced western weaponry, I note that US sent F-35 to the recent Indian defence show. It is reported that India and US are in discussions regarding the supply of F-35. Perhaps US will agree to supply, perhaps not. It seems also that BAE Systems remains interested in supplying Tempest to India and RR remains interested in developing a new fast jet engine for India.
That said, my enemies, enemy is my friend, they are fighting a proxy war against Iran.
Now Iran and Russia have moved to be close allies, that Proxy war effectively forms part of the new cold war, that means, (like it or not), we have to back Saudi Arabia....
I would say Saudi Arabia wouldn't sell military secrets to the Russians, the Indian government would sell their own grandmother to the highest bidder!
Pakistan is little better, there's a good reason the Chinese F17 and F20 have more than a few F16 influences, it was widely suspected that Pakistan let the Chinese ' borrow ' one of their F16's and it was extensively tested and studied at Chengdu.