Incremental climbs on the escalation ladder
A new set of disruptive technologies, indiscriminate use of air power, and obstinate willingness on both sides to test the tripwires have made the India-Pakistan conflict much more complex
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 "A Vinod Kumar")
 "A carrier battle group of the Indian Navy deployed during Operation Sindoor to deter Pakistani military activity in the maritime space in May (Photo: Indian Navy)")
A carrier battle group of the Indian Navy deployed during Operation Sindoor to deter Pakistani military activity in the maritime space in May (Photo: Indian Navy)
It was on the morning of May 10, 2025, that I was woken up by frantic calls from relatives and friends from down South, querying about a Pakistani missile reportedly fired towards Delhi. The apparent fear was of the conflict intensifying and whether India and Pakistan were heading towards launching missile systems at each other’s cities on the fourth day after Operation Sindoor was launched in the wee hours of May 7. Hours earlier, in the intervening night of May 9 and 10, India had launched concerted air strikes on the frontline bases of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)
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A Vinod Kumar
A Vinod Kumar is editor-in-chief of The Polity, and earlier worked with the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
 "A Vinod Kumar")
First Published: Aug 31 2025 | 9:09 PM IST
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