SOURCE: AFI

Since the 2019 Balakot airstrike, which saw Indian Air Force (IAF) jets strike a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist camp deep inside Pakistan, India has significantly bolstered its long-range missile capabilities. The induction of advanced munitions like the Rudram-II, ROCKS, SCALP, and BrahMos-A has transformed the IAF’s ability to conduct precision strikes deep inside Pakistan without needing to approach the International Border (IB) or Line of Control (LoC).

These upgrades, driven by lessons from Balakot and escalating regional tensions, enhance India’s standoff strike capabilities, enabling surgical operations while minimizing risks to aircraft and personnel.

SOURCE: AFI

In any modern conflict, information dominance and situational awareness are often the deciding factors between success and failure. For the Indian Air Force (IAF), a potential future conflict with Pakistan demands a strategy that goes beyond tactical airstrikes and punitive retaliation. It requires shaping the battlespace by blinding the enemy early—specifically by targeting critical assets such as the Saab 2000 Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) operated by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

AWACS aircraft like the Saab 2000 Erieye are strategic force multipliers, enabling long-range detection, real-time command and control, and coordinated interception operations. These platforms serve as the eyes and ears of the PAF, extending radar coverage deep into Indian airspace and enabling early warning of IAF fighter or missile movements.

SOURCE: AFI

In a potential escalation of diplomatic tensions, recent reports suggest that Pakistan is contemplating withdrawing from the Tashkent Agreement of 1966, a historic peace accord signed with India to end the 1965 war. This development follows the Shimla Agreement of 1972, which has long served as the cornerstone of bilateral relations between the two nations. The move, reportedly under consideration in response to India’s actions on the Indus Waters Treaty and heightened tensions after the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, could have significant implications for South Asian geopolitics.

The Tashkent Agreement, signed on January 10, 1966, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, was mediated by the Soviet Union to resolve the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. Key provisions included the withdrawal of forces to pre-war positions, a commitment to non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, and the restoration of diplomatic and economic ties. However, the agreement failed to address the Kashmir dispute, leading to widespread criticism in both countries for its perceived shortcomings.

SOURCE: AFI

Declassified US intelligence reports from the 1980s and 1990s, released amid widespread outrage over the recent Pahalgam terror attack, have raised alarming concerns about the potential for a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. The documents, published by the National Security Archive on April 22, 2025, suggest that while the likelihood of war between the two South Asian rivals remains low, a “miscalculation or irrational response” could escalate a conventional conflict into a nuclear exchange, with catastrophic consequences for the region and beyond.

The release of these reports coincides with heightened tensions following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 23, 2025, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. India has attributed the attack to Pakistan-based terror groups, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh vowing a “loud and clear” response. The attack is believed to have been triggered by provocative rhetoric from Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, who recently reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the “liberation” of Kashmir, calling it the country’s “jugular vein.”

SOURCE: AFI

In a development that significantly enhances India’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, a Bombardier Global 5000 jet operated by the Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W) has been spotted actively flying missions near the western border. What makes this platform particularly potent is its integration of an advanced Israeli Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system that allows it to peer deep into Pakistani territory — capturing high-resolution images of targets more than 150 km inside the border.

The Global 5000, a long-range business jet manufactured by Bombardier, has been extensively modified for electronic and radar surveillance roles. It is used by RA&W’s Aviation Research Centre (ARC), which operates a small but highly specialized fleet of airborne intelligence assets. The aircraft is capable of flying at altitudes above 45,000 feet, giving it a wide field of view and extended radar horizon.

SOURCE: AFI

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960, a World Bank-brokered agreement between India and Pakistan, has long been a cornerstone of water-sharing arrangements in South Asia. However, recent speculation about India’s potential withdrawal from the treaty, following heightened tensions over terrorism and border disputes, has brought renewed focus on its implications for Pakistan, particularly its agriculturally vital Punjab province. A detailed analysis of the canal network in Pakistani Punjab, as highlighted in a recent post by X user VatsRohit (@KesariDhwaj), underscores the region’s dependence on the Chenab and Jhelum rivers and the potential consequences of any disruption in water flow under the IWT.

Pakistani Punjab, the country’s most populous and agriculturally productive region, relies on an intricate network of canals to sustain its economy. This network, one of the largest irrigation systems in the world, irrigates millions of hectares of farmland, supporting crops like wheat, rice, and sugarcane that form the backbone of Pakistan’s food security. According to VatsRohit’s post, the canal system is primarily fed by the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, two of the three western rivers (along with the Indus) allocated to Pakistan under the IWT. Run-off from the eastern rivers (Ravi and Sutlej), controlled by India, also contributes to the system, though to a lesser extent.

SOURCE: AFI

On April 23, 2025, a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed 26 lives, marking a significant escalation in cross-border terrorism. Amid questions about the Indian military’s response, defense analyst Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval ) provided a detailed account on X of how an unarmed Israeli-made Heron drone (registration 4XUMI) played a pivotal role in the rapid response to the attack. Coupled with coordinated ground operations, the drone’s swift deployment underscores India’s evolving counter-terrorism capabilities, despite challenging terrain and operational constraints.

The attack began at 14:50 on April 23, targeting tourists in Pahalgam, a popular destination in Jammu and Kashmir. Iyer-Mitra notes that an unarmed Heron drone, already on a mission 200 km away, was diverted within 15 minutes to the attack site. Flying at a speed of 270 kmph, the drone reached the area by 15:30, just 40 minutes after the attack commenced. Equipped with advanced sensors, including heat signature detectors, it began intensively scanning the area to locate the terrorists.

SOURCE: AFI

On April 23, 2025, a video clip surfaced on X, posted by user @sdhrthmp, showing an Indian Army Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv in flight, prompting speculation and questions about its operational status. The post noted that the entire ALH fleet, numbering around 330 across the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard, has been grounded for three to four months following a fatal crash in January 2025, with no clear timeline for their return to service.

The sighting of an ALH in action, as captured in the clip, raises intriguing questions: Has the fleet been partially cleared for operations, or is this an isolated case tied to urgent missions like the recent Pahalgam terror attack?

SOURCE: UNI

In a dramatic escalation of tensions following the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan announced on April 24, 2025, the suspension of the 1972 Shimla Agreement and the closure of its airspace to all Indian-owned and Indian-operated airlines. The decision, reported by The Economic Times, comes as a retaliatory measure against India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), expulsion of Pakistani military attachés, and other diplomatic actions in response to the attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists. T

The Pahalgam attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), targeted civilians at Baisaran meadow, killing 25 Indians and one Nepali national. Indian intelligence linked the attack to LeT commander Saifullah Kasuri, with evidence suggesting Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) support. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cutting short his Saudi Arabia visit, vowed a strong response, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh promised a “loud and clear” retaliation.