According to the Global Times on July 23, the Indian Air Force announced large-scale military exercises from July 23 to 25 along the India-Pakistan border, covering Rajasthan and Gujarat, with key areas close to the Line of Control between India and Pakistan.

In terms of the lineup, main aircraft such as Rafale fighters, Mirage-2000, and Su-30MKI were all present, accompanied by full deployment of ground air defense forces and reconnaissance support systems.

Looking at the timing, this exercise took place just over two months after the intense air battle between India and Pakistan on May 7. At that time, India suffered serious losses in the air combat, with multiple aircraft shot down. The public has been questioning Prime Minister Modi's government for concealing the losses until now.

Now, the Indian Air Force is displaying such a force, openly declaring enhanced preparedness. It doesn't look like a routine training exercise, but rather a signal that it won't back down easily.

Additionally, India has just received US-made Apache helicopters, and the Indian Air Force obviously wants to show off, to wash away the humiliation from the battlefield.

Trump

From the current situation, India indeed shows a desire to rise again.

The outcome of the May air battle was a big blow to the Indian military, not only did they lose aircraft, but they were also defeated by the Pakistani Air Force using J-10C and FC-1 Xiaolong (JF-17) fighter jets, even without a chance to react.

Afterward, the Indian government has consistently suppressed information, restricted criticism internally, leading to continuous attacks from opposition parties and public opinion.

Under this pressure, the military urgently needs to regain its footing, even if it's just a non-realistic military exercise, it still wants to create an impression that the Indian Air Force is still strong.

Moreover, the Indian Air Force is also making tactical adjustments, including strengthening medium-range coordination drills and improving the battlefield perception link.

All these preparations are both a response to the Pakistani military strength and indicate that India has not given up the intention to make a comeback in the next confrontation.

Another reason is that Trump recently said that five aircraft were shot down in the May 7 air battle between India and Pakistan, which once again embarrassed India and forced it to take some action in response.

Indian Aircraft

But the question is, even if another air battle takes place, can India really win against Pakistan?

It seems that India has a larger number of aircraft and more military spending, but true air combat is no longer about who has more planes, but about system combat capability.

The results of May have already shown that the Pakistani Air Force, equipped with J-10C carrying PL-15 long-range missiles, first locked onto targets in beyond visual range combat, and completed long-range suppression through early warning aircraft and data link systems, successfully shooting down multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafales.

While India, due to incomplete electronic countermeasure links, lack of joint operations mechanism, and uneven pilot combat quality, cannot effectively counterattack.

Additionally, the Indian Air Force's daily maintenance level is poor, and there are frequent aircraft accidents, which is an old problem. Even without war, the probability of losing an aircraft due to self-inflicted damage is much higher than that of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, in key areas such as flight control coordination, wartime decision-making, and medium-range area suppression, the Pakistani Air Force has significantly improved operational efficiency in recent years under Chinese technical support.

It can be said that even if India deploys more advanced aircraft, if the system is not good, the result will only be another long-range targeting and killing.

Modi and Indian Aircraft

In short, India's tough stance reflects more of a self-consoling retaliation.

After the May 7 air battle, the Indian government deliberately suppressed the public opinion, refused to disclose the losses, and even used technical faults to cover up the fact that the aircraft were shot down.

But the more it remains silent, the more it sparks public dissatisfaction.

The confidence within the military has also been severely damaged, with many pilots psychologically fearing the high-intensity long-range suppression tactics of Pakistan.

This large-scale military exercise, although seemingly for training, is actually for building courage.

Modi wants to reshape the image of a bold and determined military through this way, to cover up past embarrassment.

However, the irony is that with the current disconnection between training and actual combat of the Indian Air Force, the more grandiose this large-scale exercise becomes, the more likely it is to cause incidents. A single mistake could result in another aircraft crash, which would be even more embarrassing.

Therefore, trying to wash away the humiliation of battlefield losses through a military exercise is neither realistic nor destined to succeed.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7530173427806782004/

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