Defence & Strategy Archives - South Asia Times

Bagram Airbase, US Aid, and Afghanistan’s Strategic-Humanitarian Dilemma

SAT Commentary January 13, 2026

Sources suggest the Taliban has offered immediate access to Bagram Airbase for potential strikes against Iran in exchange for continued U.S. aid. Beyond military leverage, the offer underscores Afghanistan’s acute humanitarian crisis and the Taliban’s reliance on external support, highlighting the complex interplay between strategy, politics, and survival in a fragile state.

Pakistan’s shift from arms importer to defense exporter reveals how indigenous military industry has become central to sovereignty in a fragmented global order.

Pakistan’s Defense Industrial Breakout

SAT Editorial Desk January 11, 2026

As the liberal international order fragments, Pakistan has executed a decisive shift from defense dependency to indigenous production. Through exports, combat validation, and joint industrialization, Islamabad is redefining sovereignty as an industrial and diplomatic asset.

India’s Offensive Defence Doctrines and Its Strategic Consequences

Syeda Tahreem Bukhari December 31, 2025

From the Sundarji Doctrine to Cold Start and 2025’s Operation Sindoor, India’s offensive doctrines aimed at rapid strikes against Pakistan repeatedly backfired, exposing operational gaps and narrowing its strategic options in multi-domain warfare.

Before and After Panjshir: How Anti-Taliban Forces Are Adapting to a Long Insurgency

SAT Editorial Desk December 15, 2025

December 2025 marked a turning point in Afghanistan’s post-2021 resistance. Coordinated, intelligence-driven attacks across Kunduz and Badakhshan signaled that anti-Taliban forces have moved beyond symbolic defiance into a sustained campaign of urban-centric insurgency. Deprived of territory, external patrons, and conventional warfare options, groups like the NRF and AFF are adapting through mobility, information warfare, and selective strikes, pointing toward a long war defined by endurance rather than frontlines.

The New Cold War: How Rare Earth Metals Are Rewriting Global Power

Mahjabeen Aamir November 27, 2025

Rare earth metals have become the backbone of modern military power and clean-energy technology. As China dominates nearly every stage of the REE supply chain, Western states scramble to secure alternatives, transforming mineral access into the defining battleground of a new global Cold War.

Mirage of Indigenization

SAT Editorial Desk November 22, 2025

The crash of a Tejas fighter at the Dubai Air Show has exposed deep structural flaws in India’s flagship indigenous aircraft program. With two airframes lost in under two years and only a few hundred verifiable flying hours, the incident raises fresh questions about the LCA’s safety, its decades-long delays, and the strategic vulnerability created by India’s dependence on aging fleets. This piece explores how the Dubai crash fits into the broader struggle of a project that was meant to symbolize self-reliance but now risks becoming a cautionary tale.

The US Report on Pakistan’s May Win

SAT Commentary November 21, 2025

The USCC’s 2025 report delivered a rare moment of clarity in South Asian geopolitics. By openly describing Pakistan’s military success over India, the Commission broke with years of cautious Western language and confirmed a shift many analysts had only hinted at. The report’s wording, and the global reactions that followed, mark a turning point in how the 2025 clash is being understood.

Modern Platforms, Evolving Doctrine

Dan Qayyum November 17, 2025

The Gulf’s air-power evolution is increasingly shaped by the fusion of advanced platforms with modern doctrine and faster decision cycles. As regional forces adapt to complex threat environments, partners like Pakistan, whose operational experience spans multiple domains, are becoming part of the broader conversation on future air-power thinking.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a historic defence pact, building joint deterrence and reshaping security across the Gulf and South Asia.

Saudi–Pakistan Defence Deal: The Geopolitical Significance

Syeda Tahreem Bukhari October 25, 2025

In a shifting multipolar world, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have formalized a landmark mutual defence pact marking a new era in regional security. The agreement reflects Riyadh’s strategic pivot from dependence on the U.S. towards trusted partners like Pakistan, an established military power in the Islamic world. Beyond reaffirming deep-rooted bilateral ties, the pact reshapes South Asia–Gulf dynamics, deters Indian aggression, and signals a broader trend of regional cooperation amid evolving geopolitical threats.

The New Normal: End of Pakistan’s Strategic Restraint

SAT Commentary October 18, 2025

Any hope surrounding the Pakistan–Afghanistan dialogue in Doha is colliding with renewed violence and mutual distrust. Pakistan’s recent precision strikes in Paktika, following a shattered ceasefire and terrorist attacks, signal a shift toward active defense. The talks now hinge on whether Kabul can curb militant sanctuaries and move beyond its victim narrative.