Guns, tanks, fighters and nuclear bombs: India or Pakistan, who has military superiority? Truth behind Pakistan's blackmail...

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a free hand to the military establishment in choosing the time, mode and means of retaliation, and Pakistan claimed to have evidence of an imminent Indian attack, the moot question being asked is, how can the Indian military be compared to that of Pakistan? A cursory glance at the military of both sides makes it amply clear that the Indian army is much superior to its neighbouring rogue state in terms of armed personnel, arms and ammunition, and defense budget. Both have nuclear arsenals with the capability of attacking each other. 

Personnel

While India has 14 lakh 50 thousand active military personnel, Pakistan has 6,54,000, half of that number. India has 11 lakh 50 thousand trained reserved personnel, and Pakistan has 5,50,000. Similarly, New Delhi has 10 lakh paramilitary personnel, while Islamabad has 5,00,000. 

Main Battle Tanks, Artillery, Rockets

In arms and ammunition too, India has the upper hand. While the Indian Army has 4,700 main battle tanks, including T-90, Arjun, and T-72, Pakistan has 2,500, including Al-Khalid, Type 85/90 and T-80U. India can boast of 4,000 artillery guns; its rogue neighbor has half of that. The Indian Army has rocket systems like Pinaka, Smerch, and BrahMos, and Pakistan has Nasr, A-100, and Fatah-1. Analysts believe BrahMos can not be compared to any of Pakistan's supersonic missiles.

Fighter Planes, Drones

India has recently acquired the French-made Rafale, Mirage 2000 and Sukhoi and old MiG 29 of Soviet days, Pakistan can boast of ultra-sophisticated the US made F-16 besides Mirage III and China-supplied JF-17. In terms of numbers, India has 570 combat planes while Pakistan has 360. Similarly, New Delhi can boast of Phalcon and Nethra AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System), Pakistan has Saab 2000 AEW&C and ZDK-03. 

India has Israel-made Heron and indigenously developed Rustom unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, and Pakistan has Turkey-made Bayraktar TB2 and China-supplied Wing Loong II. Heron is considered much superior with a proven track record with the US military, while Pakistan's drones have not been tested in an actual war. 

Navy

India is on the path of developing a blue-water navy and has achieved success to some extent. It has two aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. Pakistan has no aircraft carriers, though it can borrow one from China, which has three-—the Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian. 

Similarly, New Delhi can boast of 17 submarines, including the nuclear-powered INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, while a third, INS Aridhaman, in under trial. Pakistan has 11 submarines, and none of them is nuclear-powered. This gives a strategic depth to the Indian Navy. It has 150 naval ships including destroyers, frigates, and corvettes. Pakistan has 50 ships. 

Nuclear Arsenal

Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers with almost equal numbers of warheads. They have 160-170 warheads, Pakistan has perhaps a few more than India. However, their nuclear doctrines are different and a cause of concern for world peace. While India has announced the policy of no first use, meaning it will not be the first country to use nuclear bombs in a war, Pakistan has refused to accept it. It has declared to use nuclear bombs if it feels threatened. 

Nuclear Doctrine

Noted Pakistani journalist and Friday Times Editor Najam Sethi recently described the nuclear doctrine. He said that Islamabad can use its nuclear bomb in three situations: if the enemy captures a large swathe of its land, if Karachi is under siege, or if the water of major rivers is diverted. He said that any one of these three conditions may force Pakistan to think that its existence is under threat, and it can blow everyone up and go to heaven. 

Defense Budget

While the Indian government allocated $83 billion in its Budget 2024, Pakistan announced it would spend $11 billion. However, New Delhi will spend 2.4% of its GDP, and Pakistan will spend 4% of its GDP. While India ranks fourth, Pakistan is ranked ninth in global firepower. 

The Indian military is much superior in a conventional war. However, Pakistan's oft-repeated threat of nuclear attack should not be taken lightly. Any nuclear use may change the war scenario and pose a grave threat to India.