A comparative look at the military budget, nuclear capabilities, army, air force and navy of the South Asian rivals
India and Pakistan both said they shot down each other's fighter jets on Wednesday, with Pakistan capturing an Indian pilot a day after Indian warplanes struck inside Pakistan for the first time since the 1971 Liberation War, reports Reuters.
Earlier, India carried out air raids on rebel camps inside Pakistan weeks after a suicide attack in the disputed Kashmir region, raising fears of a war between the nuclear-armed South Asian nations.
The US, China, European Union and other world powers have urged restraint from the two nations as tensions escalate following tit-for-tat airstrikes in the wake of a suicide car bombing – claimed by Pakistan-based rebel group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) – that killed at least 42 Indian paramilitary police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on February 14.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed a strong response in the wake of the worst attack on soldiers in decades.
Pakistan will return a captured pilot "as a peace gesture" to India, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday.
The regional rivals have gone to war twice over Kashmir since independence in 1947 from Britain.
Here is how their militaries stack up.
Military budget
In 2018, India allocated $58bn, or 2.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP), to support its 1.4 million active troops, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
Last year, Pakistan spent $11bn, about 3.6% of its GDP, on its 653,800 troops. It also received $100m in foreign military assistance in 2018.
Between 1993 and 2006, more than 20% of Pakistan's annual government expenditure was spent on the military, according to estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
By comparison, India's military spending remained under 12% of its government expenditure during the same period, according to SIPRI.
Missiles and nuclear weapons
Both nations have ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
India has nine types of operational missiles, including the Agni-3 with a range of 3,000km to 5,000km, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.
Pakistan's missile program, built with Chinese assistance, includes mobile short- and medium-range weapons that can reach any part of India, CSIS said. The Shaheen 2 has the longest range, up to 2,000km.
Pakistan has 140 to 150 nuclear warheads, compared with India's 130-140 warheads, according to SIPRI.
Army
India has a 1.2 million-strong army, supported by more than 3,565 battle tanks, 3,100 infantry fighting vehicles, 336 armoured personnel carriers and 9,719 pieces of artillery, according to IISS.
Pakistan's army is smaller, with 560,000 troops backed by 2,496 tanks, 1,605 armoured personnel carriers, and 4,472 artillery guns, including 375 self-propelled howitzers.
Despite its larger army, the capability of India's "conventional forces is limited by inadequate logistics, maintenance and shortages of ammunition and spare parts", IISS said in a report this month.
Air Force
With 127,200 personnel and 814 combat aircraft, India's air force is substantially larger but there are concerns about its fighter jet fleet.
India's defence plans require 42 squadrons of jets, about 750 aircraft, to defend against a two-pronged attack from China and Pakistan.
With older Russian jets like the MiG-21, first used in the 1960s, retiring soon, India could have 22 squadrons by 2032, officials say.
Pakistan has 425 combat aircraft, including the Chinese-origin F-7PG and American F-16 Fighting Falcon jets.
Navy
India's navy consists of one aircraft carrier, 16 submarines, 14 destroyers, 13 frigates, 106 patrol and coastal combatant vessels, and 75 combat-capable aircraft.
It has 67,700 personnel, including marines and naval aviation staff.
Pakistan, which has a significantly smaller coastline, has 9 frigates, 8 submarines, 17 patrol and coastal vessels, and 8 combat-capable aircraft.
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