Can India afford to run INS Vikramaditya, asks Pakistani daily

"India's pretensions to great power status make it want aircraft carriers to allow it to dominate the Indian Ocean, but it needs to ask itself whether it can afford the expense," the editorial said.



"It should note the example of Russia itself, which could not afford the upkeep of the Gorshkov after the USSR collapsed," it added.

The Nation's editorial also said such inductions spark arms race and should be avoided.

"India should also be aware that such inductions merely spark off an arms race, and should be avoided," it said.

"Pakistan, for example, has long deployed the Harpoon anti-ship missile. It also has a large enough submarine fleet to get past any submarine pack India can launch to protect the Vikramaditya, and take a shot at it."

"The whole project shows how addicted is the Indian establishment, which includes its armed forces, to outmoded thinking," the daily said.

"However, instead of festooning itself with the trappings of a 'great power', it would be better if they devoted themselves to lifting their benighted masses of poverty."