The partition of the subcontinent in August 1947 gave birth to two rival states, India and Pakistan, which had tense relations from the start. Both countries’s animosity is well known to the world. They have fought three conventional full-scale wars in 1948, 1965, and 1971. In 1998, both countries’s forces again faced each other in the Kargil conflict. Both countries have developed the nuclear capabilities and the means of the delivery system after successful nuclear tests, which has further worsened the situation in South Asia as there is a risk of nuclear conflict. Analysts are of the view that as both countries now have nuclear weapons, there is less possibility of a conventional war between them because both sides fear an escalation of the conflict to the point where they have to use nuclear weapons. However, both countries have proved the analyst wrong once again when both countries conducted an air strike against each other in February 2019 following the Pulwama attack. The 2019 air strikes show that both countries can still engage in conventional conflicts. Both countries heavily invest in their defense sector to develop their conventional defense capabilities to counter each other on battlefields. These include acquiring effective defense systems and modern technologies, upgrading and modernizing their naval fleet, acquiring influential tanks, and bringing up-to-date aircraft.
India is enhancing its conventional defense capabilities by acquiring Russia’s modern S-400 air defense system. This air defense system is considered the most sophisticated in the world. It has some unique features, such as range surveillance radar, which can detect 300 targets within a radius of 600 km simultaneously. It has a tracking range of 600 kilometers and can hit targets about 400 kilometers away. The S-400 air defense system also has electronic radars, which can jam and destroy opponent airborne radars by launching electronic warfare. It can engage targets to a height of nearly 90 thousand feet. India has also acquired T-90S tanks from Russia, further building its defense capabilities as they can operate in challenging terrains. These tanks are capable of targeting anti-tank-guided missiles. India has also included the French Raffle, an omni-role aircraft capable of protecting the operational security of airborne and ground assets in its air fleet. The primary reason for the French Rafale selection was that India previously used French-built Mirage-2000 in its operations. This aircraft can carry various missions such as air defense, reconnaissance, and air-to-ground precision strike/interdiction. The combat radius of aircraft is about 19 hundred kilometers. India had also upgraded its aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, by equipping it with MiG29K Fulcrum fighter bombers. This aircraft can carry up to two R-27 air-to-air medium-range missiles, air bombs weighing up to 3,000 kg, and a 30mm built-in aircraft gun with 150 rounds of ammunition. Thus, India is enhancing its conventional defense capabilities in all three sectors: army, navy, and air force.
Pakistan has also tried to enhance its conventional defense capabilities, as the Pakistani army has inducted a VT-4 tank into its services, which was locally assembled in the country. The tank has a modern 125mm smoothbore gun, significantly improving over the 105mm rifled gun found on Type 85 and Type 90 tanks. The tank is powered by a water-cooled turbodiesel engine that allows the tank to reach a top speed of 7 km/h. One of the significant features of the tank is that it has an autoloader that provides for a higher rate of fire and a reduced crew requirement. In the air defense domain, Pakistan has inducted the HQ-9 air defense system, which is considered a strategic long-range SAM surface to air missile. The missile system has greater precision in intercepting multiple targets with a range of 100 kilometers. HQ-9’s high- to medium-range air defense system (HIMADS) can achieve single-shot capability. The Pakistani army has also inducted the LY 80 air defense system, HQ16A medium-range air defense system and short-range FM 90 air defense system to enhance its conventional defense capabilities.
Pakistan is also taking steps to strengthen its defense capabilities in the navy domain. For example, the Pakistan Navy has acquired 4 Type 054A/P frigates, a state-of-the-art technology. These ships are technologically advanced and highly capable, with enormous surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, and underwater firepower, besides extensive surveillance potentials. Pakistan Navy has also acquired a P282/CM-401 anti-ship missile of a supersonic nature. These weapons have the capability of anti-ship and land-attack strikes. These weapons are neutralizing the threat posed by Indian Dhanush ship-launched ballistic missiles. To further strengthen its air defense capabilities, the Pakistan Navy is currently operating advanced UAVs (unmanned Ariel vehicles) such as Scan Eagle, which can attain an altitude of about 15,000 feet and have a maximum endurance of more than 12 hours. It has state-of-the-art sensors, such as a maritime automatic identification system and a video detection and ranging camera. Moreover, it can operate without a runway.
Thus, the region of South Asia is volatile due to the presence of two rival states, Pakistan and India, both of which have nuclear capabilities. In addition, both countries are taking measures to further enhance their conventional defense capabilities, as there is a high probability of confrontation in the conventional domain. Both countries have acquired the latest air defense systems, armored vehicles, and tanks. Both countries had also modernized their naval defense capabilities by inducting the latest aircraft weaponry systems into their ships. Thus, both countries have to spend large amounts of their budget on the defense sector until they resolve the Kashmir dispute through diplomatic channels.
The Author, M. Hammad Madni is a student of International Relations at Air University, with a proven track record of publishing opinion articles on global affairs with the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI).His expertise lies in providing insightful perspectives on international relations, geopolitics, and global governance.
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