Panic increase in Indian defence spending

Express Tribune

3 hours ago

Few events strip away the layers of rhetoric surrounding a nation's defence posture as decisively as an unplanned, high?cost emergency procurement. India's sudden sanction of INR 67,000 crore is one such moment, a figure that speaks more clearly than any official statement about the scale of recent military losses. This is not the steady funding of a long?term strategy but a rapid infusion of cash to plug critical gaps exposed during Pakistan's Operation Marka-e-Haq. For a country that has projected itself as a regional heavyweight in both capability and confidence, this hasty financial move signals something deeper: assets were hit, systems were compromised, and readiness was shaken. What makes this episode more telling is not just the money involved, but the urgency behind it — an urgency that betrays the quiet panic of an establishment trying to restore what was believed to be untouchable.
One of the most glaring elements buried in this package is the so-called S-400 "maintenance" contract. Marketed as a routine service arrangement, it is in reality a repair-and-replacement operation for components damaged in recent engagements. The S-400, once paraded as the invincible crown jewel of India's air defence network, is being discreetly resuscitated under bureaucratic euphemisms. The language is telling — maintenance suggests upkeep of something in good working order; repair implies failure. And failure, in this case, came despite years of hype portraying the S-400 as a shield capable of neutralising any threat. Instead, Pakistan's evolving strike doctrine demonstrated that even the most advanced imported systems are not immune to targeted degradation, and that the promise of technological supremacy can collapse under the weight of real-world performance.
The air mobility fleet tells an equally sobering story. The destruction of multiple C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules aircraft in Fateh strikes on Indian bases was not just the loss of hardware; it was the crippling of logistical arteries vital for troop movement, resupply, and rapid response. These aircraft are central to India's ability to sustain operations in remote or contested sectors, and their sudden removal from service created an operational vacuum that no amount of rhetoric could disguise. Repairing or replacing them is not simply a matter of replenishing inventory — it is about restoring strategic reach. The fact that this too forms a significant portion of the emergency allocation underscores the degree of attrition suffered, even as official narratives sought to downplay the scope of the damage.
Beyond the material losses, the very pattern of this procurement reflects a shift in the regional balance of military initiative. Operation Marka-e-Haq showcased a Pakistan that is no longer content to simply react, but is capable of launching well-calibrated, high-impact strikes deep into contested airspace. For years, Indian strategic thought rested on the assumption that its numerical and technological advantage would allow it to dictate the tempo of engagements. That assumption has now been challenged. The hurried nature of India's recovery measures suggests that its pre-conflict planning did not fully anticipate such vulnerabilities, and that restoring credibility will require more than just expensive hardware — it will demand a rethink of operational resilience, early-warning integration, and asset dispersal in the face of precision threats.
In parallel, this turn of events reinforces a truth often ignored in the discourse on South Asian security — that military effectiveness is not solely the product of defence budgets or foreign acquisitions. Pakistan's operations reflected an intelligent blend of indigenous capabilities, actionable intelligence, and disciplined execution. The strikes were not acts of reckless escalation but carefully measured responses designed to achieve specific objectives without tipping the conflict into uncontrolled territory. This approach not only preserved escalation control but also demonstrated an ability to impose strategic costs on an opponent with a significantly larger military outlay. For India, the lesson is that high-end platforms alone cannot substitute for adaptability and tactical ingenuity; for Pakistan, it is a reaffirmation that precision and planning can level a seemingly uneven playing field.
What emerges, therefore, is a clear contrast between perception and reality. India's leadership may frame this INR 67,000 crore approval as an investment in future strength, but the timing and composition of the package reveal it for what it is — a bill for past vulnerabilities exposed in a contest of skill, planning, and execution. For Pakistan, this is not a moment for triumphalism but for quiet confidence, knowing that its armed forces have demonstrated the ability to protect national interests against a better-funded adversary through professionalism and foresight. In a region where military postures often rely as much on image as on substance, Operation Marka-e-Haq has shifted the conversation: prestige weapons can falter, budgets can be stretched thin, and deterrence rests not on boasts, but on the proven capacity to act decisively when it matters most.