Dealing With India's Two-Front Challenge - Indian Defence News
To deal with the China-Pakistan menace, a politically guided policy and a comprehensive military capacity are required.
Editorial Staff
Dealing With India's Two-Front Challenge - Indian Defence News
Until recently, every idea of a two-front conflict elicited opposing viewpoints. The Indian military was convinced that a collusive China-Pakistan military threat existed and that we needed to create capabilities to confront it. On the other side, the political elite in general, as well as the backbone of the country's strategic community, believed that the military was exaggerating a two-front threat in order to demand more resources and finances. They said that China has never intervened militarily in any India-Pakistan dispute in the past and that India-economic, China's diplomatic, and political relations exclude any violent conflict between the two countries. As a result, India's strategic thinking was dominated by Pakistan and the security concerns that sprang from there. Things alter when there are intrusions. While China was the more powerful — and thus strategic — foe, the Indian military believed the chances of a conventional fight breaking out were slim. Pakistan,…
