This article examines the two-front war challenge for India against China and Pakistan. It highlights difficulties nations have faced in managing simultaneous wars, emphasising the complexity such a situation imposes on national defence. The article explores collusion and collaboration between China and Pakistan and the resultant enhancement in military cooperation and interoperability, nuclear collusion, and infrastructure connectivity between the two countries. It also evaluates recent advancements in military modernisation by China and India’s corresponding efforts in enhancing its defence capabilities and border infrastructure. The analysis suggests that while the threat of a two-front war is real, it remains a possibility rather than an inevitability. The article concludes that India must maintain high vigilance, continue strengthening its military posture, and simultaneously engage in proactive diplomacy. A calibrated strategy that balances robust defence preparedness with sustained diplomatic engagement offers the most effective means of safeguarding national security and regional stability.
Pakistan–Bangladesh bilateral relations may be witnessing some warmth due to Bangladesh's changed domestic political situation, but the ghost of 1971 still casts a shadow.
Pakistan no longer gains a substantial strategic advantage from its nuclear posturing, even as it continues to view the display of a nuclear threat as a strategic tool in conflict scenarios.
Japanese officials and analysts must pay greater attention to the risks inherent in equating India with Pakistan—a so-called ‘iron brother’ of strategic rival China.
Chinese responses to the India–Pakistan conflict is a reminder of the perennial strategic challenge that the China–Pakistan nexus poses to India’s security.
