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New Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
India-Pakistan: Conflict with no clear winner
Paris, France: A ceasefire between India and Pakistan has calmed fears of all-out war and despite conflicting claims, experts say no clear victor emerged in the brief conflict between the nuclear-armed foes. No clear winner Both South Asian countries claim to have achieved their goals in their worst conflict since 1999, without admitting significant losses. Four days of intense fighting began last Wednesday when India launched strikes against what it described as "terrorist infrastructure" in Pakistan. India claims Pakistan backs the militants it says were behind an April attack in which 26 people were killed in Kashmir -- a charge Islamabad denies. "If victory is defined by who lost the most manned aircraft, then India certainly lost this one," said Ashley Tellis of the Carnegie think tank. "But India also succeeded in effectively interdicting a range of Pakistani surface targets and imposing significant costs on Pakistan," Tellis told AFP. "Both sides continue to claim air-to-air kills, but clear evidence remains unavailable at the time of writing," said Fabian Hoffmann from the University of Oslo. "What stands out is the extensive use of conventional long-range strike systems by both sides to target military infrastructure deep within enemy territory, including sites near their capitals," he added. Nuclear powers While slow to begin with, the international community, including the United States, eventually intervened, alarmed by the possibility of further escalation. Hoffmann said the bitter foes showed little restraint despite the absence of "deliberate strikes on critical civilian infrastructure". "Any shift in that direction would... potentially bring the conflict closer to the threshold of nuclear use," said Hoffmann. The global trend towards violence, especially by states facing internal turmoil, demands greater international vigilance, according to Tellis. The fact that both countries are nuclear powers "makes the conventional balances all the more important. But the fact remains that neither side has a decisive conventional edge in a short war," said Tellis. Drones on the frontline Like other modern conflicts, this one confirmed the "widespread" use of drones for warfare, according to Oishee Majumdar from British intelligence firm Janes. Israel Aerospace Industries' exploding drones Harop and Harpy, as well as reconnaissance drone Heron were used by India, Majumdar told AFP. According to specialist site Military Balance, India also deployed Indian drones Nishant and Drishti.
India Gazette
09-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Pakistan trying to escalate again, but India gave befitting reply," says Retired Major Gen Dhruv C Katoch
New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): Retired Indian Army officer Major General Dhruv C Katoch on Friday asserted that Pakistan attempted to escalate tensions with India, but the Indian armed forces responded strongly, including by destroying Lahore's air defence system. Major General Katoch claimed the actions were part of a desperate move by Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir to protect his position. Speaking to ANI, Major General Katoch said, 'Pakistan is trying to escalate the situation again and again. This is the action taken by Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir... he is doing this to save his chair.' 'India has given a befitting reply to Pakistan. India's air defence system has shot down the missiles and drones fired by Pakistan... we have destroyed Lahore's air defence system,' Major General Katoch further added. Major General Katoch's remarks came after the tension between India and Pakistan across the border. On Thursday, the former Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo (Retd), praised the Indian Air Force's (IAF) recent use of the S-400 Sudarshan Chakra missile system, which was used on Thursday night to stop targets moving toward India. Air Marshal Deo added that the S-400's accuracy is very high, and it can even take down medium-range ballistic missiles. While speaking to ANI, Air Marshal Deo said, 'It is a very capable system, perhaps the most potent system in the world. It's an entire system with three types of radars and three types of missiles, each optimised for specific targets, from low-RCS to high-speed threats. Its single-shot kill probability is extremely high, and it's accurate and effective even against medium-range ballistic missiles.' About the Harpy drone, Air Marshal said, 'Additionally, we have drones like the Harpy, which are anti-radiation drones equipped with seekers that detect active radars. Once a radar is switched on, the drone homes in on it and destroys it, even if it is later turned off. These drones can loiter in the area for 10 to 12 hours and have a video link, allowing operators to monitor their movement and strike precisely when needed. Overall, this makes the system extremely effective in neutralising enemy air defences.' (ANI)
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First Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
'Madrassa students our second line of defence:' Khawaja Asif declares amid standoff with India
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced that madrassa students will serve as the country's second line of defence amid standoff with India read more As tensions with India rise, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Friday (May 9) during a Parliament session that madrassa (religious schools) students will serve as the country's second line of defence when needed. This statement followed India's retaliatory drone strikes on multiple locations in Pakistan the previous day. 'As far as Madrassas or Madrassa students are concerned, there's no doubt they are our second line of defence, the youngsters who are studying there. When the time comes, they will be used as needed 100 per cent,' Khawaja Asif said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's Defence Minister drops the mask: 'Madrassa students are our second line of defence and can be used for any purpose." Let that sink in. A nuclear state openly admits grooming children for — Riccha Dwivedi (@RicchaDwivedi) May 9, 2025 Asif's statement came after India's central government on Friday authorised the Chief of the Army Staff to call upon members of the Territorial Army as tensions with Pakistan rise. Asif, known for making controversial remarks, also gave the lawmakers the reason why the Indian drone attack on Thursday was not thwarted by Pakistan forces, an argument that directly contradicted a previous claim made by the Pakistan Army that the projectiles fired by India were intercepted. Asif said, 'The drone attack was mounted to detect our locations. It's a technical thing that I can't explain. We didn't intercept the drones, so that the location of our aerial defence units won't get leaked.' India said Thursday it targeted air defence units of Pakistan across several cities, effectively inflicting severe damage and taking out an air defence system in Lahore. According to reports, India used Israeli-developed Harpy kamikaze drones in these attacks. Earlier on Thursday, the Pakistani Army claimed that they had shot down 25 Indian drones since Wednesday night. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, a spokesperson for the army, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudry, acknowledged that drone attacks in Rawalpindi, Lahore and an area near Karachi had resulted in a civilian casualty and an injury. Since the beginning of the India-Pakistan conflict on May 7, Khawaja Asif has increasingly made global headlines for his controversial remarks.
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First Post
09-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
'Didn't intercept Indian drones as...': Khawaja Asif contradicts Pakistan Army in parliament
Khawaja Asif argued that the projectiles fired by India were not intercepted to avoid disclosing the location of Pakistan's air defence units, directly contradicting the Pakistani Army read more Khawaja Asif address parliament on Friday (May 9). Source: Screengrab from a video on X Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday (May 9) contradicted the Pakistan Army's claims of downing Indian drones while addressing the parliament, arguing the projectiles were not intercepted to avoid disclosing the location of the country's air defence units to Indian forces. Asif said, 'The drone attack was mounted to detect our locations. It's a technical thing that I can't explain. We didn't intercept the drones, so that the location of our aerial defence units won't get leaked.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We didn't intercept Indian drones as it would have given away our defence positions' This isn't parody, this is scene from Pakistani parliament Pakistani parliament is funnier than parody 😹 — BALA (@erbmjha) May 9, 2025 India said Thursday it targeted air defence units of Pakistan across several cities, effectively inflicting severe damage and taking out an air defence system in Lahore. According to reports, India used Israeli-developed Harpy kamikaze drones in these attacks. Earlier on Thursday, the Pakistani Army claimed that they had shot down 25 Indian drones since Wednesday night. However, a spokesperson for the army, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudry, acknowledged that drone attacks in Rawalpindi, Lahore and an area near Karachi had resulted in a civilian casualty and an injury. Since the beginning of the India-Pakistan conflict on May 7, Khawaja Asif has increasingly made global headlines for his controversial remarks. Khawaja Asif became the subject of widespread ridicule following his appearance on CNN in the wake of the Indian Air Force's strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor. During the interview, he was pressed on Pakistan's claim that it had successfully shot down five Indian fighter jets — a statement that has been attributed as fake and has been widely questioned due to the absence of credible evidence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When CNN's Becky Anderson asked for evidence, Asif conveniently pointed fingers at social media. Asif responded: 'It's all over social media. On Indian social media, not on our social media,' 'The debris of these jets fell… and it's all over Indian media.' Earlier, Asif embarrassed himself and Pakistan for admitting on camera that his nation has been doing 'dirty work' of supporting and funding terrorism in South Asia for decades. When Sky's Yalda Hakim said, 'You do admit, sir, that Pakistan has had a long history of backing and supporting and training and funding these terrorist organisations,' Asif replied candidly: 'Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, you know, and the West, including Britain.' 'That was a mistake, and we suffered from that, and that is why you are saying this to me. If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan's track record… was an unimpeachable track record.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How India stopped a barrage of drones, missiles, and destroyed Pakistan's air defence
India's Air Defence Systems Akashteer was activated to neutralise Pakistani attack Live Events What is Akashteer? Fused sensor network for unified air picture Automation speeds up threat response Decentralised engagement authority Real-time multi-source data integration System designed for redundancy and future upgrades Flexible setup for different formations Phased deployment underway Harpy Drone Targets Pakistan's Air Defence Pakistan's Air Defence (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Air Defence (AD) systems are key military installations designed to safeguard against aerial threats, including aircraft, missiles, drones, and helicopters. India's defence forces use a multi-layered air defence strategy to detect, track, and neutralize airborne dangers. These systems rely on various components, including radar systems, surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and mobile air defence units, to form an integrated protective air defence arsenal includes several advanced systems designed to offer protection across different ranges and capabilities. Among the most prominent is the S-400 Triumf , a surface-to-air missile system with a range of 380 km. India secured a deal with Russia in October 2018 worth Rs 40,000 crore for the delivery of three squads, although the final two squads are delayed until 2026-27 due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine Barak-8 MR-SAM, developed jointly with Israel, has a range of over 70 km. A significant number of these systems are being progressively inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF), Navy, and Army. Additionally, the Akash system, which has a 25 km range, has seen the IAF induct 15 squads of Akash 1 and 2 systems for Rs 10,900 crore. The Army has also received four regiments worth Rs 22,340 crore, with more systems in the also uses the Spyder system, an Israeli low-level quick-reaction anti-aircraft missile with a 15 km range, and shorter-range Russian systems like the Igla-S, Igla-1M, and Pechora missiles for immediate retaliatory strike came hours after India's targeted operation. Indian defence forces responded swiftly by activating Akashteer, an air defence control and reporting system developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The system worked alongside the S-400 to neutralise the aerial threats. Akashteer is a fully automated and integrated air defence system designed for the Indian Army. It aims to enhance the speed, coordination, and effectiveness of India's air defence integrates land-based sensors from both the Army Air Defence and the Indian Air Force. This sensor fusion provides a seamless, shared airspace picture, accessible even to lower-level operational system eliminates manual data entry, enabling faster responses to aerial threats. This is crucial as aircraft at supersonic speed can cover up to 18 kilometres in one minute. Automation ensures defence units lose no time in gives local units the authority to make engagement decisions, which is vital for border areas. This decentralisation allows for rapid response without the risk of friendly fire due to controlled engagement data from 3D tactical radars, lightweight radars, and the Akash Weapon System, Akashteer offers a layered and real-time view of the airspace. This helps Indian forces respond quickly and plan is built with communication redundancies to ensure continued operation under challenging conditions. Its design supports both software and hardware upgrades, making it adaptable to future defence system has mobile platforms for strike formations and fixed platforms for pivot formations. This flexibility allows Akashteer to be deployed across various terrains and operational of 455 systems planned, 107 had been delivered by November 2024. Another 105 systems were expected by March 2025. The rest will be delivered by March 2027, covering defence units across the Indian response to Pakistani air defence capabilities, India reportedly used the Israeli-made Harpy drone against Pakistani radar and air defence targets. The Harpy is a loitering munition, designed to fly in a specific area and attack targets autonomously by homing in on radar signals. Its primary function is to suppress and destroy enemy air defences, a role described by its maker, Israel Aerospace Industries, as "suppression and destruction of enemy air defences (SEAD/DEAD)."The Harpy has a maximum speed of 225 knots (over 400 km/h) and an endurance of up to 9 hours, making it an effective tool in neutralizing adversary air defence systems. It carries a 16 kg warhead and is equipped to strike key targets when intercepting radiation emitted by systems like air defence relies heavily on imports from China, which has supplied over 80% of Pakistan's major weaponry since 2014. These include air defence systems, advanced fighter jets, drones, and frigates. Notably, Pakistan has deployed the Chinese-made HQ-9 series long-range surface-to-air missiles, comparable to Russia's S-300/400 systems. The HQ-9/P, with a range of around 125 km, was inducted into the Pakistani military in 2021. By 2022, Pakistan also deployed the HQ-9BE variant, capable of targeting up to 250 km.
