The terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, resulted in the deaths of 26 people, including 25 tourists and one local resident. The attack has been attributed to The Resistance Front, which is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and reportedly supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
This terrorist incident is viewed not merely as an act of brutality but as a politically motivated signal, occurring during a period of renewed tourism in Kashmir and coinciding with a U.S. Vice-President’s visit to India. The timing suggests a strategic move rather than a random act of violence, designed to disrupt India’s diplomatic focus and foreign policy by reigniting cross-border terrorism.
India’s Enhanced Military Capabilities
In response to ongoing security challenges, India has significantly upgraded its military capabilities in recent years, developing a robust defence posture that combines imported cutting-edge systems with indigenous developments. These enhanced capabilities provide India with new options for responding to security threats from both Pakistan and China.
Air Defence And Strike Capabilities
The acquisition of the S-400 missile system from Russia in 2018 represents a significant enhancement to India’s air defence capabilities. With a range of 400 kilometres, the S-400 can effectively cover vast stretches of Pakistani airspace, potentially creating “no-fly zones” over Pakistan’s border regions. This system provides a strategic advantage as Pakistani F-16s have a combat radius of just 550-600 kilometres, meaning the S-400 located in Punjab can significantly limit adversary air activity across the frontiers.
The S-400’s capabilities extend beyond Pakistani threats to address Chinese provocations as well. The system’s long reach allows India to potentially shoot down Chinese fighter jets from within its territory in case of hostilities, countering threats like China’s J-20 stealth fighter and vulnerable support systems such as AWACS and aerial refuelling tankers. This comprehensive air defence network provides a protective shield over India’s major cities, critical infrastructure, and strategic facilities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and many other urban centres.
Read- India Sends Rafales Near Pak Border
In addition to defensive systems, India has enhanced its offensive air capabilities with the acquisition of Dassault Rafale fighter jets. These aircraft, integrated with advanced weapons and software updates, feature the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, significantly expanding India’s strike capabilities. The Rafale’s integrated defensive aids system further enhances its survivability in contested airspace. Together with the S-400, these systems create a layered air defence and strike capability that substantially improves India’s position vis-à-vis both Pakistan and China.
Naval Power Projection
India’s naval capabilities have seen significant advancement with the commissioning of INS Vikrant, the country’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier. Commissioned on September 2, 2022, in an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this vessel has substantially enhanced India’s maritime capabilities. At 262 meters long and 62 meters wide, with a top speed of around 28 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots, INS Vikrant provides India with unprecedented power projection capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.
The aircraft carrier, built at a cost of around ₹20,000 crore, features over 2,300 compartments designed for a crew of around 1,700 people, including specialized cabins for women officers. Powered by four gas turbines totalling 88 MW power, INS Vikrant represents India’s entry into a select group of nations with the capability to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier. Vice Admiral Ghormade emphasized that the commissioning of this vessel would contribute significantly to ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Further enhancing India’s naval deterrence capabilities is the recent testing of the nuclear-capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from INS Arighaat, a nuclear-powered submarine. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the K-4 missile can carry a 1-tonne payload up to a range of 3,500 kilometres. The successful test of this 10-meter-long, 20-tonne missile marks a significant milestone in India’s strategic capabilities, as it represents the first test from an actual submarine following previous trials from submersible platforms.
Strategic Context: Managing Dual Threats
The Pahalgam attack occurs within a complex strategic environment where India must simultaneously manage threats from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and Chinese border provocations. This two-front challenge requires a comprehensive security approach that addresses both conventional and asymmetric threats.
Pakistan’s Strategic Calculus
The Pahalgam attack is viewed as part of Pakistan’s attempt to disrupt India’s diplomatic focus and foreign policy by reigniting cross-border terrorism. Under General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Army Chief, there appears to be a revival of a strategy of “managed escalation,” leveraging violence as a political tool. This approach is seen as being driven partly by Pakistan’s internal instability, characterized by economic, political, and social challenges.
Read- Punjab Government To Deploy Anti-Drone System On Pakistan Border
Indian authorities have linked the Pahalgam attack directly to Pakistan, with digital traces leading to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi. Forensic evidence and intelligence intercepts suggest potential support from operatives based in Pakistan. The investigation has also determined that Hashim Musa, one of the two Pakistani militants identified in connection with the attack, previously served in Pakistan’s paramilitary forces before joining Lashkar-e-Taiba after being dismissed from military service.
China’s Border Posture
While Pakistan-sponsored terrorism dominates immediate security concerns, India continues to face challenges along its northern border with China. The S-400 missile system provides India with significant advantages in this theatre as well, as its long reach allows India to counter Chinese air assets including the J-20 stealth fighter. This system complicates the options available to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) for air campaigns and limits its ability to assist Pakistan in case of a conflict.
The S-400’s capabilities also extend to sea denial against naval forces, providing extensive tracking of Chinese aircraft carriers and other naval assets hundreds of kilometres away from the Indian coast. This significantly reduces the freedom of adversaries to manoeuvre close to India during a conflict and helps secure airspace for the Indian Navy to operate effectively.
Response Strategy And Deterrence
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, India faces pressure to develop an effective response strategy that addresses immediate security concerns while building long-term deterrence against both state-sponsored terrorism and conventional military threats.
Immediate Response Options
India is encouraged to develop a long-term deterrence strategy in response to the Pahalgam attack, involving political consensus and sustained intelligence capabilities. This response should not be episodic but should involve strategic patience, employing diplomatic, economic, and covert means of pressure on Pakistan. India is urged to diplomatically isolate Pakistan and reconsider trade and water-sharing agreements as part of this comprehensive approach.
The enhanced military capabilities now at India’s disposal provide a range of options beyond those available during previous incidents. The S-400 air defence system boosts offensive air operations by securing airbases, forward posts, and national strategic infrastructure, providing a defensive counter-air shield under which Indian offensive air power can operate more freely. This means offensive forces do not need to be diverted to protect the homeland and can focus solely on targeting adversary assets.
Building Credible Deterrence
The development of a credible deterrence posture requires not only military capabilities but also the political will to employ them when necessary. The Pahalgam attack calls for a strategic shift from mere condemnation to implementing credible consequences that deter future aggression. This approach stresses the need for clarity in India’s policy and action against terrorism, aiming to convey a message of strength and resolve to Pakistan.
The strategic advantages provided by systems like the S-400 and naval assets such as INS Vikrant and INS Arighaat contribute significantly to this deterrence posture. The S-400’s ability to create “no-fly zones” over Pakistan’s border regions represents a powerful deterrent against air incursions. Similarly, the successful testing of the K-4 nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile from INS Arighaat enhances India’s strategic deterrence capabilities.
Conclusion: A New Strategic Paradigm
The Pahalgam attack has highlighted both vulnerabilities in India’s security apparatus and the significant enhancements in military capabilities that have been achieved in recent years. India now stands at a strategic crossroads, with the opportunity to leverage these enhanced capabilities to develop a more effective and comprehensive approach to the dual threats posed by Pakistan and China.
The S-400 missile system, Dassault Rafale fighter jets, INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, and the nuclear-capable K-4 missile represent significant advancements in India’s military capabilities across air, sea, and strategic domains. These systems provide India with new options for responding to security challenges, from creating effective air defence shields to projecting power across the Indo-Pacific region.
Moving forward, India’s response to the Pahalgam attack will likely combine immediate security measures with long-term strategic initiatives aimed at building sustainable deterrence against state-sponsored terrorism and conventional military threats. This approach will require not only military capabilities but also diplomatic skill, intelligence prowess, and political resolve to address the complex security challenges facing the nation in this new era.
RW Report
Agencies
