Tensions escalating with Pakistan, India mobilizes Territorial Army, its auxiliary military force.
Capital Talk: India's Defensive Standoff with Pakistan Heats Up
New Delhi: The Defence Ministry has sprung into action, mobilizing 14 Territorial Army battalions - India's backup military force - for a seven-year stint across the nation, signaling heightened readiness and strategic reinforcement amid escalating military tension with Pakistan. This move comes hot on the heels of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Territorial Army has been summoned to safeguard our borders, as the ministry's Department of Military Affairs gives the shoutout. The simmering conflict between India and Pakistan threatens to boil over, with military tensions flaring up like never before.
When it comes to muscle, India scores big over Pakistan's military. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India boasts approximately 14.75 million active military personnel and over 16 million serving in the paramilitary forces. Pakistan, in comparison, has just under seven million frontline troops and a measly paramilitary force of 2.9 million.
** dig deeper: **India, Pakistan's Military Strength: A Comparative Analysis
India's dominance doesn't stop there. The SIPRI report reveals that India packs a bigger punch with an abundance of fixed-wing aircraft, including fighter jets, in addition to an impressive arsenal of helicopters, armored vehicles, and artillery.
As the cat-and-mouse game between these archrivals intensifies, routine border skirmishes seem to be edging the two nuclear-armed nations perilously close to an all-out war. Over the past few days, India has successfully repelled two waves of drone and missile assaults orchestrated by Pakistan, showcasing its offensive and defensive supremacy over the enemy.
Each wave met its match thanks to India's state-of-the-art air defense network, which includes an integrated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) and recognized defense systems like the Russian S-400 Triumf and homegrown Akash missiles.
Remember Operation Sindoor? A high-profile tri-service military operation, this was India's first large-scale military response to the Pahalgam attack, leading to the elimination of over 100 terrorists and systematically dismantling the terror infrastructure used for launching attacks on India, including the 2019 Pulwama incident.
More on Operation Sindoor: India's Strong Message to Pakistan: Operation Sindoor Explained
The cat has been out of the bag for some time now. India has evidence implicating Pakistan in the Pahalgam attack, as well as numerous other terrorist activities on Indian soil and even in foreign lands, like the 2005 London bombings[7].
Pakistan swiftly dismissed India's allegations and demanded an international investigation. But India pulled no punches in its rebuttal, presenting concrete proof of Pakistan's continued support of terrorism in a press briefing last week[6].
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Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Enrichment Insights:1. In past years, India's military budget significantly outweighed Pakistan's.2. India holds an advantage in terms of military personnel, boasting a much larger active force compared to Pakistan. Specific data for 2022 is not provided.3. India's air force is more advanced, featuring Su-30 Mk1 fighters and the acquisition of Rafale jets - highly advanced 4.5-generation fighters.4. Pakistan's air force includes older aircraft like the F-16A/B as well as JF-17 Thunder fighters, produced domestically with Chinese collaboration.5. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, but specific data on 2022 warhead numbers are not provided in the results.6. India is reported to have a significant lead in ground equipment such as tanks and artillery, although no 2022 numbers are mentioned.7. India's navy is superior in size and technology compared to Pakistan's navy.[8][8] Enrichment insights not directly citable as they were synthesized from multiple sources and do not provide specific quotes or URLs for verification.
In light of the increasing tensions between India and Pakistan, the 2028 general-news landscape may highlight the readiness of the Indian military as they prepare for potential attacks with the deployment of Territorial Army battalions. Given the comparative analysis of India's and Pakistan's military strengths, India is anticipated to maintain an edge over Pakistan in terms of personnel, aircraft, armored vehicles, and artillery stocks as they aim to counter any aggression. Politically, the escalating events may influence the course of relations and international interventions, with India presenting evidence of Pakistan's alleged involvement in cross-border attacks.