Pakistan Threats & Tech-readiness

A recent military escalation between India and Pakistan has reignited concerns over persistent cross-border hostility, even as modern warfare technologies increasingly redefine the dynamics of deterrence, response, and escalation. The incident revealed Pakistan’s continued military dominance, and India’s strategic vulnerabilities in space, cyber, and integrated theatre warfare.

India-Pakistan Hostilities: Strategic Risks and the Call for Technological Preparednes

Persistent Structural Hostility

• Military Dominance of Pakistan’s Governance: The Pakistan Army continues to shape both internal policy and foreign aggression. Despite economic instability, the military dictates cross-border strategy and fosters instability to retain internal legitimacy.
• Religious Nationalism as Strategic Posture: Statements by Pakistan’s military leadership reflect an ideological confrontation with India’s secular identity. The alignment of religious zeal with military planning increases the risk of irrational escalations.
• Geopolitics of Resource Diplomacy: Western engagement, particularly by the U.S., is subtly influenced by Pakistan’s critical mineral reserves, drawing parallels with resource-based strategic bargaining seen in other conflict zones.

Tactical Shifts in Modern Warfare

• Escalation Dominance as Key Doctrine: The conflict underscored the necessity of escalation superiority. India must prepare for swift, high-impact tactical dominance in short-window confrontations.
• Battlefield as Tech Testing Ground: The confrontation became a proxy platform: India’s Rafales vs. China’s J-10Cs, Indian-origin drones vs. Turkish Songar drones—reflecting global interest in tactical battlefield performance.
• Multi-Layered Air Defence Architecture: India's deployment of Aakash, Barak-8, and S-400 systems highlighted the importance of integrated air defence. The dormant yet ready BrahMos missile adds a vital deterrent layer.

Strategic Gaps and Future Preparedness

• Space Surveillance Deficit: India lacks a real-time, military-dedicated satellite constellation, hampering early warning, especially against simultaneous threats from Pakistan and China.
• AI and Drone-Centric Warfare Outlook: Future wars will be shaped by drone swarms, autonomous targeting, and AI-led threat response—requiring India to accelerate indigenous defence tech ecosystems.
• Need for Sensor-Shooter Integration: Victory depends on fast kill chains—sensor-to-shooter loops must be unified across domains through Joint Theatre Commands and advanced C4ISR capabilities.

Practice Question (GS-II)

Q. Despite being economically and militarily inferior to India, Pakistan continues to provoke conflict, especially under military rule. Examine the structural reasons behind this enduring hostility and assess how emerging technologies are reshaping the contours of India’s strategic response.