Standoff With India Heats Up As Pak Conducts Missile Test
India-West News Desk
NEW DELHI – Pakistan conducted a missile test on May 5, its second in three days, amid growing tensions with India following a deadly terror attack in Kashmir. The Pakistani military said it successfully launched a Fatah-series surface-to-surface missile with a range of 75 miles and its Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the test as proof that the country’s “defense is in strong hands.”
The launch follows a sharp escalation in hostilities between the countries. On April 22, gunmen killed 26 Hindu tourists in what was the deadliest assault on civilians in India in nearly 20 years. New Delhi accused Islamabad of involvement, a charge Pakistan denies while claiming it had intelligence suggesting India was planning military action.
The missile test underscores Pakistan’s intent to showcase military readiness, as border skirmishes and diplomatic threats raise alarm in global capitals. India has pledged to strike back against those behind the attack, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi warning of punishment.
Beyond the immediate geopolitical friction, the confrontation is increasingly being seen as a testing ground for modern military capabilities — and a proxy competition between Western and Chinese technologies. Since a brief conflict in 2019, both India and Pakistan have revamped their arsenals.
India, once reliant on aging Russian MiGs, has inducted 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets, regarded as one of the most advanced in the West. Pakistan has countered with China’s J-10C jets, delivered in batches since 2022, which come equipped with the powerful PL-15 air-to-air missile — still untested in combat, Reuters said.
Air defense systems have also been upgraded. India now fields Russia’s S-400 system, while Pakistan has deployed the Chinese-made HQ-9, derived from Russia’s earlier S-300 platform. Both aim to address weaknesses revealed during the 2019 hostilities.
The competition extends into drone warfare. India has added Israel’s Heron Mark 2 drones to its fleet and is awaiting delivery of U.S.-made Predator drones. Pakistan, meanwhile, has acquired Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones — which have seen action in Ukraine — and the more advanced Akinci model.
With China emerging as Pakistan’s key military supplier and strategic ally, and the U.S. deepening defense ties with India, the next chapter in the subcontinent’s standoff could also mark a broader test of which military technology — Chinese or Western — proves superior on the battlefield, Reuters noted.
