The changing nature of Pakistan’s external threats
As the saga of Prime Minister Gilani’s contempt case continued, some other crucial developments were taking place in the region. The first ever Bangladesh-US security dialogue was initiated on April 19th in Dhaka, the same day the country bowed out of its cricket tour to Pakistan even after assurances. Coincidentally, India lunched its Agni-V long-range ballistic missile, which it claims to be an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), on April 19th as well. While the domestic political scene of Pakistan is moving excruciatingly slow, the nature of its external security environment remains as dynamic as ever and is shifting from the realms of land, sea and air, to the final frontier, the space.
After the April 19th Agni-V test, India launched the RISAT-1 radar imaging satellite on April 26. RISAT-1 usefulness will be in disaster prediction and for agriculture, forestry and defence purposes. However, Chinese media has called it a spy satellite. Not long ago, in 2009 India had acquired Israeli manufactured RISAT-2 that has night scanning capability. The capabilities of these satellites make them instrumental in monitoring the moves of unfriendly neighbours such as Pakistan and China 24/7. Reportedly, India has the world’s highest number of remote sensing satellites (11) in orbit and is a leader in the remote sensing data market.
These recent moves are part of Indian focus to modernise its military based on cutting edge warfare strategies and tactics, such as the Network Centric Warfare (NCW). This ambition was reflected in the comments made by Indian Army Spokesman Colonel Jagdeep Dahiya, as he talked about the large-scale military exercise Shoorveer (Brave Warrior) that is presently ongoing,
“Battlefield transparency and operational plans based on real-time situational awareness will be enhanced using intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) inputs from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones), radars and satellites,” he stated.
Space based assets have become an integral part of a strategy to maintain a control and dominance over land, sea and air. All leading world powers are in the process of developing technologies for its surveillance, through Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Anti Satellite (ASAT) capabilities. Mainly because the geospatial intelligence, missile defense systems, global positioning and targeting mechanisms used by ground and air forces, are dependent on these satellites.
India has also shown interest in developing Anti Satellite (ASAT) weapons. According to the Indian media, this focus developed after China’s 2007 use of an ASAT weapon to destroy an old satellite. The Director General of Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) VK Saraswat had stated in 2010,
“India is putting together building blocks of technology that could be used to neutralise enemy satellites. We are working to ensure space security and protect our satellites. At the same time we are also working on how to deny the enemy access to its space assets.”
Moreover, India performed its latest test for Anti Ballistic Missile System in February. The nation successfully tested the interceptor defence shield, which detects and destroys incoming ballistic missiles. DRDO jointly developed the system’s tracking and fire control radar with Israel and France. India is the fifth state to achieve this missile defence technology.
While India conducted its Agni-V test and launched RISAT-1 satellite, Pakistan successfully tested a nuclear capable-intermediate range ballistic missile Hatf IV (Shaheen-1A) on April 25th. The exact range of the missile was not announced. A few unconfirmed media reports have claimed the range to be around 4,500 km. On April 26th, Pakistan had also commissioned its first fast attack craft, PNS Azmat, built in cooperation with China.
“Its immense firepower coupled with stealthy features makes it a real versatile platform which would not only prove vital for ensuring effective presence in our area of operations, but would bring a new dimension of operation of stealthy platform of this tonnage,” Admiral Muhammad Sandila of Pakistan Navy stated at the commissioning ceremony.
The key word in Pakistan’s strategy to counter Indian space advancements is ‘stealth’. While Pakistan’s space program (SPARCO) and capabilities have remained highly secretive and limited, the country has focused on developing stealth missiles and technologies to avoid detection by Indian missile defence system. This, in addition to concerns of Chinese getting access, were perhaps the reasons US was emphatic about the return of its stealth Black Hawk helicopter that went down in Abbottabad during the Osama operation.
In October last year, Pakistan tested a stealth cruise missile, Hatf VII (Babur). The Hatf VII is speculated to be a copy of American Tomahawk cruise missile. A few of these missiles had crashed in Pakistani territory in 1998 when US targeted militant camps in Afghanistan, in retaliation for attack on its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Hatf VII has a range of about 700 km and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with multiple tube missile launch vehicle (MLV). MLV considerably increases the targeting and deployment options. The country is also reportedly working on a stealth version of its fighter jet J17 Thunder.
Pakistan has adopted a strategy similar to Russia, to counter the controversial American missile defence system being deployed in Europe, and other regions of the world. Russian ICBMs are equipped with Multiple Independently Targeted Reentry Vehicles (MIRV), which makes the Anti Ballistic Missile Systems (ABMs) ineffective. Commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Lieutenant General Sergey Karakayev stated in May 2011 that the new Russian RS-24 ICBMs will become ‘invincible’ as they will be capable of overcoming any missile defence system for the next 15 or 20 years.
In short, the scope of Pakistan-India rivalry that was once limited to land, sea and air, have now clearly entered the domain of space. Although major world powers are against militarisation of space, they are nonetheless not reticent in outdoing each other in space, the final frontier. It is not a matter of choice but survival.
The writer is the chief analyst for PoliTact (www.PoliTact.com and http:twitter.com/politact) and can be reached at [email protected]
No price and co compromise on self-defence, but limits should definitely be in place…
"Pakistan successfully tested a nuclear capable-intermediate range ballistic missile Hatf IV (Shaheen-1A) on April 25th with a few unconfirmed media reports have claimed the range to be around 4,500 km."
This means that Pak already owns a LRBM. What nonsense!
However, the main point shown by the Title of the piece and all of the details is that Pak insists on seeing India as "the enemy." It does not have to be that way. Speaking for almost all Indians, they are forced to consider defense against Pak terror and military because Pak insists on continuously attacking India. If only Pak would see a way clear to living in peace with India, all of this would pass into history. Alas, Pak is making the classic self-fulfilling prophecy–India is our enemy and so it comes to pass.
There is another way. The way of peace and prosperity. India has been ready for 64 years. No one is Pak seems to be listening.
Pakistan does not have the money to match all development efforts of India. It's going to create some gap. Need more help from China…
Stop relying on Chinese on everything. Why can't you build your own.
44% Indian population lives below poverty line. What is the use of going to other universe when people are suffering at home.
May me to explore another world to transfer them over there.
Dont worry about poor in India…worry about poor of Pakistan.. we dont need another planet.. we will make you go back to from whre u came…
Mandeep said: "we will make you go back to from whre u came"… A burning pit of fire?
Why is Pakistan obsessed with poverty in India?? If India is 44% poor then pukistan is 440% poor. India have such a huge economy and Pakistan cannot spend as much as India waste!! True there is poverty, theres poverty everywhere. But looks like your government needs your advice more than India!! For your information India spends less than 2% of its (massive) gdp on defence, check how much pak spends!!
jus like india is puppit ov isreal at least pakistan hav a genuine friend in china
There s only puppet of a country thats the Pakistan pulled by two masters- US one one side and the terrorists on the other!!!
pak is puppit of chine it used market of its…..fullis pakistani wake up..make some think himself.
Poor author….
Pakistan can't build a railway engine that it is begging from India, from where it got the ability to fabricate missiles with stealth capabilities ?Technological brilliance doesn't exist in isolation for missiles. If you are claiming that it is easier to penetrate a missile shield based on Russia's claims you need to do some more research. All you have are second class N Korean and Chinese missiles with Afgani names. Pakistan doesn't have technical knowhow or even infrastructure to build any hi-tech object. China is helping Pakitan to enhance its nuisaance value for India. India is a world leader in IT, Pharmaceutical and India has a very well devoloped space research programme that includes PSLV, GSLV, has its own super computers.You see the number of Indian scientists, doctors, IT experts in US and Europe. Some of them now prefer to stay home as there is quantum jump in wages. It is just the beginning. Most of R&D units in India were set-up in mid eighties. It takes several years to develop them.
With rise of professionalism and public accountability, these Units will start yielding good results.The whole range of Agni and Prithvi missiles, have been repeatedly test fired with different permutaions and combinations to finetune them to perfection. Pakistan can only put up some fight in destructive technology it aquires clandestinely. It will not not be able to match India intellectually or economically.
Pakistan has its soveriegn right to make adequate arrangements for its defence and attacks on its enemy like it did in 1948, 1965. 1971 and 1999 kargil. But what will be the result of spending too much for attack and defence?
Pakistan spends 40% of its budget against India's 11%. Pakistan spends 16% of its GDP against India's 2%. In other way, Pakistan spends about $9 billion out of $176 billion GDP on defence.
It is like going the way of USSR against America. Think it over.
sadley we hav corrupt leaders in pakistan now hopefully imran khan can bcum pm 4this country 2move 4ward an develop in2 a better nation our people are strong hard working an do not want war wth any country we wnt 2b a peacefull country so if india dosnt bother palistan theres no problem yes we do hav a problem in our country that will get sorted once imran khan the patan prince takes over
Firstly blame the politicians of pakistan because they only provoking the people against india for their vote bank, come on pakies wakeup show u r power to u r policians not to india
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