Nuclear Rivals on Collision Course: India Responds with Full-Spectrum Force as Pakistan Tests Missiles

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – In a dramatic escalation of military posturing amid rising Indo-Pak tensions, Islamabad has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) over the Arabian Sea, declaring a no-fly and no-sail zone in preparation for live-fire missile drills, as both nuclear-armed rivals brace for fallout following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

The missile test, scheduled between April 24 and 26, signals Pakistan’s intent to flex its deterrent capability, involving a tactical missile with an estimated strike range of 480 kilometers—a system believed to fall under its Babur or Ghaznavi-class of solid-fuel, short-to-medium range ballistic missiles.

“The concerned Indian agencies are keeping a close watch on all developments,” Indian officials told local media, underscoring New Delhi’s heightened state of surveillance and operational readiness along its western theatre.

Pakistan has also issued maritime advisories to civilian shipping and local fishermen to steer clear of the designated impact zones, as the test zone extends along strategic waters adjacent to Karachi and Gwadar—both key military and economic hubs under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

As Pakistan initiates live-fire exercises off its southwestern coast, satellite intelligence confirms the redeployment of India’s flagship aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, into the Arabian Sea—its closest positioning yet to Pakistani waters since its commissioning.

“The satellite images confirm that INS Vikrant has departed port and is currently active in waters off the coast of Karwar, Karnataka,” analysts report, suggesting a deliberate signal of force projection by the Indian Navy.

The movement of INS Vikrant—India’s first indigenously built carrier capable of deploying up to 30 aircraft including MiG-29K multirole fighters and advanced naval helicopters—represents a calculated strategic countermove intended to dominate the western maritime domain.

Naval planners note that Vikrant’s deployment serves not only as a stabilizing deterrent but also as a forward-operating platform for air-sea integration, signaling India’s ability to achieve sea control and project combat power deep into the northern Arabian Sea.

In tandem with maritime repositioning, India has ramped up the operational tempo of its unmanned aerial systems, deploying Israeli-built Heron UAVs across Jammu and Kashmir for real-time ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) coverage in the immediate aftermath of the Pahalgam incident.

The deployment of Heron drones on April 23 played a pivotal role in locating insurgent elements believed responsible for the attack and in guiding ground forces during follow-up operations, demonstrating the increasing fusion of unmanned systems into counterinsurgency doctrine.

Simultaneously, frontline Indian Air Force squadrons, including those operating Dassault Rafale and Su-30MKI fighters, have stepped up patrol sorties along the western border, ensuring air dominance and providing a visible reminder of India’s strike readiness.

India’s ground forces, too, have launched intensified border patrols and search-and-destroy operations, backed by HAL Dhruv utility helicopters, across Srinagar and surrounding sectors to prevent further militant infiltration and restore control over volatile regions.

Along the Line of Control (LoC), Indian Army formations have bolstered troop concentrations and escalated readiness levels, reinforcing their defensive posture with layered surveillance, artillery deployments, and quick-reaction units.

These moves reflect New Delhi’s comprehensive strategy—leveraging its tri-service capabilities—to convey that any repeat of cross-border provocation would be met with overwhelming and multidomain retaliation.

Meanwhile, across the border, Pakistan has elevated its own military alertness to near-maximum, with its air force placing airborne surveillance units, including AWACS platforms, on combat patrol near the Indian frontier to monitor regional airspace activity.

At the same time, ground forces have initiated mobility drills and field deployments along Pakistan’s western frontier, a move aimed at sustaining high readiness while preparing for escalation across the conventional spectrum.

Though no direct military engagement has been initiated, Pakistan’s National Security Committee—chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif—issued a stark warning, declaring that the nation is “prepared to respond with full force across the complete spectrum of national power” should provocation persist.

These cascading military maneuvers unfold just days after India launched a multi-pronged diplomatic and strategic response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which New Delhi attributes to Pakistan-based militant organizations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Among its first actions, India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a World Bank-brokered agreement that governs water-sharing from the Indus river system, citing the untenability of bilateral cooperation in the face of state-tolerated terrorism.

India then sealed the Attari–Wagah Integrated Check Post, the only land crossing between the two countries, severing a critical channel for trade and people-to-people exchanges that had previously been preserved even during military standoffs.

Further tightening its diplomatic screws, New Delhi revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, including those under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, and suspended all consular services indefinitely.

In a tit-for-tat move reflective of Cold War-era diplomatic brinkmanship, India expelled Pakistan’s defence attaché from its high commission and slashed the staff strength of its own mission in Islamabad from 55 to 30.

As the crisis deepened, Prime Minister Narendra Modi abruptly curtailed his official visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to oversee national security deliberations, signaling the seriousness with which the Indian state views the threat.

Home Minister Amit Shah also flew to Srinagar to review the ground situation, chair operational briefings, and coordinate real-time inter-agency responses, underlining the central government’s hands-on approach to crisis management.

A high-level all-party meeting in New Delhi saw political rivals united in rare consensus, issuing a joint declaration of support for the government’s strategy to eliminate terrorism and safeguard the country’s sovereign integrity.

India’s actions following the Pahalgam massacre underline a calibrated yet forceful reorientation of its defence posture, aimed at deterring further attacks and re-establishing escalation dominance across all dimensions of conflict.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA