The balance of power in the subcontinent: from India’s military superiority to Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence.
In a report on the border tensions between India and Pakistan, Al Jazeera News Network examined the balance of power between these two regional parties and wrote that after border clashes between the two countries that have existed since 1947, the incident that occurred on April 22, which resulted in the death of at least 24 people and the injury of dozens of others, has intensified the inflammation in the border areas and the closure of land crossings and airspace between the two sides.
According to the report, these repeated incidents could intensify disputes over the balance of power, especially in light of the possibility of war between the two sides, both of which are nuclear powers. Just like a similar incident that occurred in 1999, when armed Kashmiri elements attacked the Indian part of this region and captured the Kargil heights, but India once again took possession of these areas with a massive attack on this region.
The common border between India and Pakistan is more than 3,300 kilometers. According to the assessment of the Global Firepower website, which is considered the official reference for ranking countries’ military capabilities, the strengths and weaknesses and defense balances between the two sides include the following:
In terms of military ranking, India is ranked fourth among the world’s armies, and Pakistan is ranked twelfth. The total population of India, which is one of the components of this country’s power, is more than 1.4 billion people, and Pakistan has a population of over 252 million. The labor force in India is 662 million people, and the labor force in Pakistan is over 108 million.
The active military in India is about one and a half million, and this figure is 654 thousand for Pakistan. In terms of reserve forces, India has about 1.1 million reserve military personnel, and this figure is about 550 thousand for Pakistan.
India’s annual military budget is over 75 billion dollars, while this figure is estimated to be less than 8 billion dollars for Pakistan. In contrast, India’s external debt is $371 billion, while Pakistan’s is less than $93 billion.
Although India’s population is more than 5 times that of Pakistan, Pakistan’s military personnel are larger than India’s. India has spent more than 10 times Pakistan on equipping, training, and developing its military industries.
India’s area is also about 4 times that of Pakistan, which is in addition to its extensive coastline on the seas and oceans, which gives it a significant diversity in transportation and trade routes on land and sea. India also has many strategic natural resources, but these natural resources do not cover all of its domestic needs. This situation also applies to Pakistan.
The number of commercial ships in India is 1,859, compared to 60 in Pakistan. India has 311 airports, compared to only 116 in Pakistan. In terms of ports and docks, India has 56 ports and Pakistan has 3 ports.
Military Partners of India and Pakistan
Pakistan has initiated extensive relations with China and Turkey to develop its air systems and has signed contracts with these countries to purchase Chinese “FC-31” fighters. Islamabad has also purchased fifth-generation “Qa’an” fighters from Turkey. On the other hand, India has used advanced weapons from the United States and the Israeli regime and has made great efforts to expand its domestic military capabilities. India has indigenous fighters called “Tijaz” and submarines, armored equipment, long-range missiles, and advanced defense systems.
New Delhi has increased its military partnership with the United States over the past years and considers it its main military partner. Cooperation between India and Israel has also played a significant role in the development of the country’s missile systems and drones and its air defense systems.
Ground Forces
The total number of tanks in India is 4201, while the figure for Pakistan is about 2627. India has nearly 150,000 armored vehicles, while Pakistan has only 18,000. India has about 100 automatic artillery pieces, while Pakistan has more than 662. India has 264 mobile missile launchers, while Pakistan has about 600.