The dramatic flare-up of tensions and targeted cross-border strikes between India and Pakistan this week has raised the spectre of a first all-out war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in decades.
The 2 international locations have fought two wars since independence over the disputed area of Kashmir – and three in whole – and the picturesque Himalayan valley is as soon as once more on the centre of their standoff. Already arguably essentially the most extremely militarised area on the earth, with lots of of 1000’s of troops and paramilitary forces deployed to keep up safety in Indian-administered Kashmir at the most effective of occasions.
However taken collectively, the Indian and Pakistani militaries boast a complete of round 2 million armed forces personnel. It means an all-out battle can be one of many largest by variety of combatants for the reason that finish of the Second World Warfare.
Right here’s how the 2 militaries examine towards one another
India’s army is ranked fourth by assume tank World Firepower out of a complete 145 nations, whereas Pakistan ranked twelfth in 2024. Moreover, India falls in the next tier of army energy than Pakistan, as per the Navy Watch Journal.
India has one of many largest standing armies globally, with over 1.47 million active-duty troopers.
India has 1.4 million energetic personnel in its defence forces – 1,237,000 within the military, 75,500 within the navy, 149,900 within the air pressure, and 13,350 within the coast guard. Pakistan’s power is thinner, with below 700,000 personnel, of whom 560,000 are within the military, 70,000 within the air pressure, and 30,000 within the navy, in accordance with the Worldwide Institute for Strategic Research in London.
The London-based assume tank says Pakistan’s defence spending was a tenth of its neighbour final yr.
In 2024, India spent round $86bn final yr on defence, turning into Asia’s second-largest army spender after China and sixth globally.
On the army assets, ammunition and battle autos, India has one other edge over Pakistan with practically double the variety of tanks than Pakistan has. India has a complete of 4,201 tanks towards Pakistan’s 2,627, in accordance with World Firepower. India leads on the airpower entrance as properly with an estimated whole of two,229 plane, as in contrast with 1,399 of Pakistan’s.
The 2 nations are virtually equivalent when it comes to nuclear capabilities. India possesses round 172 nuclear warheads, whereas Pakistan is shut behind with round 170, US-based assume tank Arms Management Affiliation stated, citing knowledge from 2024.
“With 170 plutonium-based nuclear warheads on short- and medium-range methods, Pakistan already has sufficient nuclear firepower to discourage a nuclear assault from India and obliterate a lot of the subcontinent,” the Arms Management Affiliation stated.
Pakistan continues to “produce fissile materials and retains the choice to make use of nuclear weapons first towards non-nuclear army threats”, it stated.
Navy specialists in Pakistan claimed their smaller armed forces have already confirmed their capabilities by downing Indian warplanes – together with a French Rafale – within the newest cross-border escalation. Indian authorities haven’t issued an announcement responding to the claims of Pakistan downing India’s Rafale jets. The Impartial has reached out to the workplace of defence minister Rajnath Singh for remark.
“The notion right here in Islamabad is of pleasure and jubilance. The Pakistani army, particularly Pakistani Air Pressure, is seen to have executed a beautiful job. India has struck all civilian targets as a result of there have been no militants there as these have been beforehand banned websites,” stated Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Battle and Safety Research.
“However Pakistan, in retaliation, did it for all of the army targets and we downed a lot of Indian jets. Regardless of restricted in numbers and capabilities, Pakistan engaged Indian army targets efficiently not solely within the air but in addition alongside the road of management and struck Indian plane on their very own territory,” he informed The Impartial over a telephone name from Islamabad.
In keeping with specialists, whereas India is visibly higher armed and may afford an extended battle, a battle with Pakistan just isn’t going to bode properly for its vulnerabilities towards China.
“Each states can afford a brief, restricted battle however neither state can afford a drawn-out, high-intensity battle. Even just a few weeks of high-intensity battle would critically pressure each international locations’ militaries. India can afford a drawn out battle greater than Pakistan, however getting drawn into such a battle would expose India to dangers on its different entrance with China,” stated Christopher Clary, affiliate professor on the division of political science at College of Albany.
The present high-tension battle, he stated, is extra about “bluster and posturing” than an precise drawn out battle.
“That is about with the ability to declare a political victory at residence, fairly than meaningfully degrading adversary army capabilities. Meaning this battle is extra about posturing than war-fighting – although there’s critical preventing in small pockets and for transient durations,” he tells The Impartial.
“Governments are within the enterprise of claiming they’re ready even when they’re unprepared,” Clary says.
“The Indian forces are about double the scale of Pakistan’s forces… if it got here to a battle, India will win,” says Sky’s safety and defence analyst Michael Clarke.
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