If you live in subcontinent, one question sure has crossed your mind, “Who will have an upper hand if a war broke out between India and Pakistan”. Every military in the world like to show off their might on ground, in sea & air but the case is different for people in India & Pakistan, where it has become a competition for dignity and honor and losing to other is not an option for any.
Several comparisons have been made on different forums yet none as detailed as the one by “Military Watch”. The new lists provide an option to either check a country’s armed forces’ might or compare it with any other country on the list. All the major powers of the world have been included in it.
Courtesy “Military Watch Magazine”
Lets not waste time and delve into a detailed comparison of armed forces of both India and Pakistan. Keep in mind that this is just a comparison of the assets both the militaries hold, we are not endorsing a conflict OR by any mean making assumptions about war.
Comparison between Ground Forces
This comparison is restricted only to the ground forces i.e. Pakistan Army & Indian Army.
Infantry
Infantry is the number of combat capable personnel including Active Soldiers, Reservists, Paramilitary and Special Forces.
ForcesPakistanIndiaActive Soldiers
(Active Soldiers refers to military members who are currently serving on full-time status in their military capacity)
653,8001,237,117Reservists
(Reservists are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when their military requires additional manpower)
282,000990,960Para Military
(A paramilitary is a semi-militarized force whose organizational structure, tactics, training, subculture, & function are similar to a professional military, but is not formally part of a country’s armed forces)
420,0001,400,000Special Forces
(Special forces and special operations forces are military units trained to conduct special covert operations)
8,0007,400
Battle Tanks
These are the heavily armored and armed combat vehicle which have served as a key component of modern armies since the First World War.
Pakistan Army
A total of 2,370 battle tanks are in service of Pakistan Army.
TanksNumberType 90 II333T-80320Type-85267Type-69 IIMP290Type 59
(560 of the Al-Zarar variants)
1160
Indian Army
TanksNumberArjun370T-722410T-901657
Combat Helicopters
These are armored rotary wing aircraft designed for frontline engagements deploying a heavy armament of missiles, rockets and guns. These helicopters are highly effective tank hunters and also effective in an anti-infantry role.
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Heavily specialized submarine hunting platforms are also included.
Pakistan Army
HelicoptersNumberAH-1W Cobra48T129 ATAK0 (30 on order)Mi-24/354AH-1Z Viper0 (12 on order)
Indian Army
HelicoptersNumberMi-24/3515AH-64 Apache22
Artillery
This refers to the high caliber guns or rockets used to bombard enemy positions at long ranges.
Pakistan Army
ArtilleryNumberRocket Artillery142Towed Artillery1300Self-Propelled Artillery400
Indian Army
ArtilleryNumberRocket Artillery270Towed Artillery4,160Self-Propelled Artillery198
Support Systems
The support systems refers to the rotary wing aircraft fulfilling a number of non-combat roles including surveillance, transport, search and rescue and Special Forces insertion. It often possess some defensive armaments. This is a key logistical asset for modern armies.
Pakistan Army
Support SystemNumberAirlift296Support Helicopters328