Words of war: Kinetic vs non-kinetic warfare
At a high-stakes military briefing following India's Operation Sindoor, senior officials, including the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and Deputy Head of Naval Operations (DGNO), repeatedly used the phrase 'kinetic domain' while outlining India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack.But why are military leaders suddenly invoking what sounds like physics terminology during a war briefing?The term kinetic—from the Greek word kintikos, meaning 'motion'—has increasingly become a part of military vocabulary.advertisement
In military-speak, kinetic refers to direct, physical force—actions we typically associate with conventional warfare: bullets, bombs, artillery fire, missile strikes, and air raids. These are tangible, destructive operations where the damage is visible and immediate.So why use the term at all? Because in the modern theatre of conflict, not all warfare is visible. Kinetic helps distinguish physical attacks from a different category known as non-kinetic measures—subtler forms of state action that can be just as damaging but don't involve traditional weaponry. These include:CyberattacksPower grid disruptionsEconomic sanctionsDiplomatic pressureIn the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, India took several non-kinetic steps, such as:1. Shutting down the Attari-Wagah border checkpost2. Restricting entry of Pakistani nationals3. Expelling Pakistani High Commission staff4. Suspending the Indus Waters TreatyadvertisementEach of these actions was intended to damage the adversary without a single shot being fired—coercive, but bloodless.Then came Operation Sindoor, where India moved into the kinetic domain:1. Precision strikes on nine terror-linked targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir2. Artillery bombardment across the Line of Control3. Counterattacks on Pakistani drones and radar systems4. Missile and air strikes on Pakistani air basesAs Lt. General Rajiv Ghai put it, these were kinetic actions—and their impact was unmistakable and visible to the world.
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