India and Pakistan have embarked on a new arms race, investing billions in advanced missile systems that observers warn could define the next era of South Asian warfare.
The moves follow their deadly four-day conflict in May, which saw some of the most intense border hostilities between the nuclear-armed rivals in years.
Simultaneously, the Indian government says it is upgrading its indigenous Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) to feature advanced guidance systems and be compatible with both the air force’s Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKI and French Rafale aircraft. The enhanced SAAW will have an extended range of some 200km (124 miles).
Pakistan, meanwhile, marked its Independence Day by unveiling plans to establish a new rocket force designed to counterbalance India’s growing missile capabilities. In a nationally televised address last Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the new unit would be equipped with cutting-edge technology and strengthen the military’s combat potential.
Islamabad is copying China and establishing a rocket unit
Abdul Basit, a senior associate fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore, described the developments as the start of a new missile race between the two arch-rivals.
