Following the mob lynching of a Hindu minority citizen in Bangladesh, tensions in the region have sharply escalated. Anti-India protests have intensified across the country, with demonstrators surrounding the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. They are pelting stones and raising inflammatory slogans. At a time when relations between India and Bangladesh appear strained, Dhaka is emphasising on strengthening its military capabilities.
In this context, here is a closer look at the key aircraft and missile systems currently deployed by the Bangladeshi armed forces, and its defense preparedness.
Bangladeshi Army ranks 43rd among 145 countries.
According to a report by the Global Firepower website, Bangladesh’s military strength ranks 35th among 145 countries worldwide. In terms of air power, Bangladesh ranks 43rd out of 145 countries. The Bangladeshi air force has a total of 214 military aircraft, including 42 fighter jets such as the F-7, MiG-29, Yakovlev Yak-130, and possesses 65 helicopters. Shockingly, despite efforts to modernise its armed forces, Bangladesh currently does not possess any dedicated attack helicopters.
The Bangladesh Army possesses 56 self-propelled artillery pieces, 546 towed artillery pieces, and a total of 110 rocket artillery systems. It also has the modern TRG-300 Tiger Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) manufactured in Turkey. This weapon system integrates the Tiger missile and the T-122/300 Multi-Caliber and multi-barrel rocket launching (MBRL) system. Bangladesh had purchased this rocket system in 2021 at a cost of approximately $60 million. The deal included acquisition of a total of three batteries of this weapon system for Bangladesh.
This missile system can successfully hit targets ranging from 3 kilometers to 100kilometers. Additionally, the missile launcher unit can be equipped with 4 rounds of 300 mm or 40 rounds of 122 mm rockets.
Bangladesh may buy JF-17 fighter jets from Pakistan
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has shown interest in Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder jet, which has a range of more than 3,400 km. The JF-17 Thunder is considered the main strength of the Pakistani Air Force, and its new Block-III version is a 4.5 generation multirole fighter. The aircraft was jointly developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
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