Outraged over Pahalgam, combat-ready India begins major war games in Arabian Sea; Pakistan edgy

Economic Times

28-04-2025

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India is intensifying pressure on Pakistan through significant military demonstrations at both land and sea borders. The Indian Army is actively addressing ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), while the Navy has been executing various missile launches in the Arabian Sea . Additionally, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is conducting extensive long-range fighter operations around the clock, The Times of India reported on April 28.As Indian and Pakistani forces engaged in small arms exchanges for the third consecutive night along the extensive 778-km LoC, the Navy announced on Sunday that it had successfully carried out multiple anti-ship missile firings. This was aimed at "revalidating and demonstrating the readiness of its platforms, systems, and crew for long-range precision offensive strikes," ToI's report (by Rajat Pandit) said.The increase in military activities appears to be a component of a broader strategy to keep Pakistan on edge until the Indian government decides on potential decisive strikes, carefully considering the escalation matrix while being cautious not to breach nuclear thresholds.In the Arabian Sea, at least four key destroyers and frigates have performed test firings of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, which recently saw their strike range extended from 290 km to 450 km. Alongside this, other weapon systems have also been tested in the past few days.The Navy has asserted its readiness, declaring itself "combat ready, credible and future-ready" to protect national interests "anytime, anywhere, anyhow," while also sharing videos and images from their firing exercises to convey a clear strategic message.The air-breathing BrahMos, capable of flying at nearly three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8, serves as the primary conventional precision-strike weapon for India's armed forces. The Army operates at least four regiments equipped with BrahMos, while the IAF possesses land-based batteries and 40 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets fitted with advanced air-to-ground missile variants.These assets are expected to play a significant role when the Indian government considers limited punitive military actions against Pakistan, which could include concentrated fire assaults without crossing the LoC or deeper precision strikes via fighter jets, as previously reported by TOI.Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have made it abundantly clear that there will be severe consequences not only for those responsible for the Pahalgam massacre but also for those orchestrating these actions from behind the scenes, ToI's report said citing a senior military officer.Along the LoC, the Army reported that several Pakistan Army posts had once again "initiated unprovoked firing" with small arms, including rifles and light machine guns, targeting Indian positions in regions such as Tutmari Gali, Rampur, Uri, Gurez, and Sunderbani sectors late Saturday night."Our troops effectively responded with appropriate small arms fire in double measure. Should the Pakistan Army resort to using higher-caliber weaponry such as artillery guns, anti-tank guided missiles, and 120mm mortars, we will retaliate accordingly," a senior officer told TOI.He emphasised that substantial costs could be imposed on the Pakistan Army for its role in perpetuating cross-border terrorism. Prior to the renewed understanding between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan in February 2021, maintaining peace was the norm. "Our dynamic response strategy is fully operational," he added.The IAF is also maintaining a heightened state of operational readiness, having fully activated all air bases on the western front, with fighter jets conducting regular combat air patrols (CAPs) and air defense missile systems primed to intercept aerial threats.