Pakistan and India, both nations are celebrating their 75th birthday of independence. The two nations got the freedom from the United Kingdom back in 1947. Pakistan celebrate its independence day on 14th August whereas Indian celebrate its independence day on 15th August.
A nation that forgets its defenders will also be forgotten and become lost as armed force are the actual nobility of one’s country. The courageous warriors risk and sacrifice their lives to protect the freedom of one’s country. An army’s primary objectives are to protect the country from external aggression and internal threats, to preserve peace and security within its boundaries, and to uphold national security and unity. Both Indian and Pakistani armies have distinctive levels of strength.
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the largest and the most land-based branch of the Indian Armed Forces. According to International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), India’s Army has 1.4 million soldiers and is supported by more than 3,565 battle tanks, 3,100 infantry fighting vehicles, 336 armoured personnel carriers, and 9,719 pieces of artillery.
To equip its military with the equipment it needs to counter these threats, India has been developing new military technology rapidly. The Indian Army is equipped with assault aircraft, fighter aircraft, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, transporters, attack helicopters, and air superiority fighters, among several other things. Some aircrafts, like multi-role combat aircraft, can perform numerous roles. Indian Army’s strength is increasing yearly.
Pakistan, China, internal militancy, Maoists, and terrorist groups are still threats to it on both the eastern and western fronts. At such a time, India is modernising and overhauling its army in order to be equipped for the worst-case scenarios.
According to Globalfirepower, the total number of active and reserve military personnel in India is 4,207,250. To combat the increasing presence of Chinese forces along the actual Line of Control, it has recently been proposed to strengthen the army by more than 90,000.
India’s nuclear power potential is also considered. Globalfirepower ranks the world’s armies based on manpower strength, and the Indian Army is ranked on third. There are over 1.2 million active troops and 960,000 reserve troops in our army.
The Indian Army is perhaps the backbone of the Indian Armed Forces. One of the most versatile forces in the world is the Indian Army, thanks to the foot soldiers who protect the nation’s borders and deal with security threats in the most difficult circumstances.
The Siachen glacier, at 21,000 feet, is the highest battleground in the world (Indian and Pakistani armies are active on this border). Soldiers are taught to survive before engaging in battle. To adjust to their environment, soldiers travel two weeks on foot from the base camp. They are trained in using the ladders to bridge crevasses that emerge when the glacier moves. One of the largest contributors to the UN peacekeeping forces has been the Indian Army, and India also holds credit of creating the first UN-created female police unit.
The army has taken part in a number of UN peacekeeping missions, including those in Cyprus, Lebanon, Cambodia, Liberia, South Sudan and Somalia. It has also conducted significant peacetime exercises like Operation Brass-tacks and Exercise Shoorveer.
Indian Army has a horse cavalry regiment which is the 61st cavalry regiment, and it is one of the three cavalry units in the world. The regiment can be deployed to provide internal protection, albeit their primary use is for ceremonial occasions. These are the men who while adhering to the traditional spirit acquire training on modern methods conforming to international standards, at the same time setting standards of their own, which have achieved worldwide acclaim. The Indian Army has about 53 cantonments and 9 army bases, spread across India.
Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot, and Operation Cactus are a some of the army’s other significant operations. It works to thwart or repel threats or aggression against Indian territory, its people, or its maritime interests, in both war and peace, along with other Union Armed Forces.
Pakistani Army
The land service division of the Pakistani Armed Forces is recognized as the Pakistan Army. It is a disciplined and professional Army. Like Pakistan, Pakistan Army began almost from scratch on August 14th 1947, in the face of overwhelming odds.
Since Pakistan’s independence, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, have evolved into a highly motivated and contemporary force protecting Pakistan’s ideological and geographical frontiers. According to the most recent rankings, the Pakistan Army is the 9th most powerful Army in the world. It has a total strength of approximately 560,000 active-duty personnel, with support from the Army Rescue and National Guard, according to a figure calculated by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in 2021.
The Pakistan Army, a significant part of the military along with the Pakistan Navy and Air Force, is a volunteer force that has seen massive combat during three major wars with India, several border skirmishes with Afghanistan at the Durand Line as well as a prolonged insurgency in the Baluchistan region that it has been battling alongside the Iranian security forces since 1948. However, the Pakistani threat looms large and with a trigger-happy army, it sits on the Indian western front amid fears of a potential future battle.
Therefore, Pakistani Army is heavily deployed along the India-Pakistan border and the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In addition, Pakistani Army is ranked 6th in terms of manpower, is constantly prepared to defend the nation.
By protecting Pakistan against all sorts of external aggression and the prospect of a war, the Pakistan Army’s main goal and constitutional mandate is to ensure the nation’s national security and cohesion.
Pakistani army is one of the top contributors to UN peacekeeping deployments. Due to the extensive spread of negative propaganda, this is undoubtedly one of the lesser-known facts. However, Pakistan’s contributions have been acknowledged by the UN; the Pakistan Army has the distinction of having received the highest number of medals from the UN itself.
After the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) began in 2001, terrorism presented an existential threat to Pakistan. In the fight against terrorism, Pakistan’s Army, security, and the law enforcement agencies have made unmatched sacrifices. It was extremely difficult for Pakistani enemies to infiltrate these regions and clear them of a fortified adversary who could blend in with the population, making them virtually undetectable. However, Pakistani Army never took a step back as it was fully aware of its obligations. The fearless young officers lead their troops into the heat of various battles without a flinch of hesitation.
Lately, Pakistan has defeated the menace of terrorism and writ of the government has been established in all areas. This was only possible by the Armed Forces of the country. The Army has always been at the forefront of resolving the difficulties faced by its people and the government, in addition to carrying out the conventional border defence duties.
At the times of national calamities and disasters such as the devastating earthquake in 2005 or the floods, the army engineering corps, medical, logistical personnel, and other armed forces services have played a major role in area rehabilitation and reconstruction of cities and towns while distributing the relief goods and military rations to the affected civilians. The Pakistan Army has deployed its forces on the harshest and cruellest of the terrains, exposing them to multiple hazards while maintaining the defence and integrity of its territory.
Nuclear Capacities of Indian and Pakistani Armies
As per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India have got around 90-110 nuclear weapons whereas Pakistan holds around 100 to 120 nuclear weapons – they can be delivered via land-based missiles and aircraft.
Comparison of Arsenals between India and Pakistan
The following picture will show you a brief capacity of Indian and Pakistani armies hold.
Conclusion
To conclude, it takes a strong person to dedicate their entire life for something, leave home at a young age, endure the most arduous training and conditions, and sacrifice life for the sake of countrymen one doesn’t even know. It is not for the weak heart. Therefore, the respect is equal for both, the Indian and Pakistani armies.
It is significant to mention that being nuclear power countries, they should remain calm and resolve all issues with discussions instead of showing their military powers. When a country has got nukes, the number of nukes would not matter as such – only one nuclear bomb is enough to kill millions and destroy the generations.