India vs Pakistan: A comparison of military strength

India is the second most populated country in the world and Pakistan ranks at number five.

Terrorists opened fire at a popular tourist spot near Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon, killing 20 people, mostly vacationers from other states. This attack is being called the deadliest in the Valley since the Pulwama attack in 2019 where 40 security personnel were killed.

The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the attack on social media platforms.

According to India Today, the social media platform X has been flooded with posts showing screenshots from flight tracking website Flightradar24. They seem to show aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) departing from the Southern Air Command in Karachi for bases in the north near Lahore and Rawalpindi.

These are the Pakistan Air Force's nearest airbases to Indian borders. In fact, Rawalpindi is home to PAF base Nur Khan.

However, Pakistan has claimed it has “got nothing to do" with the incident.  “Pakistan has no link with the Pagalgam terror attack,” said Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

According to Global Firepower Index 2025, which lists world’s most powerful armies, India secured fourth place while Pakistan slipped from ninth to twelfth position.

The Global Firepower Index considers data from over 60 factors, which includes the country's GDP, population, military strength, and purchasing power among other aspects to determine the fighting potential of a country.

Catch full updates on Pahalgam attack here. 

Here is a comparison showcasing the relative conventional fighting strengths of India and Pakistan in 2025.

Defence budget

India is the second most populated country in the world and Pakistan ranks at number five.  India’s defence budget for 2025-26 has been set at Rs 6.8 lakh crore ($79 billion), reflecting a 9.5% increase over the previous fiscal’s budget estimates. Meanwhile, Pakistan is expected to increase its defence budget by Rs 159 billion for the fiscal year 2025–26, taking the total allocation to Rs2,281 billion, according to reports.

Military  strength

In terms of soldiers, India ranks second globally, with 1,455,550 active personnel. Additionally, India possesses a reserve force of 1,155,000 soldiers, stated the index.  Meanwhile, Pakistani army boasts 654,000 soldiers. India has 2,527,000 paramilitary forces while Pakistan has 500,000 paramilitary forces.

India has 4,201 tanks while Pakistan has 2,627.  India also boasts advanced systems such as T-90 Bhishma and Arjun tanks, BrahMos missiles, and the Pinaka rocket system.

India has 148, 594 armoured vehicles, three times more than Pakistan.

Pakistan also has more self-propelled artillery systems than – a staggering difference of 662 between the two nations.

Airforce

Pakistan possesses a total of 1,399 aircraft, including 328 fighter jets, stated the Index.  Meanwhile, India has 2,229 aircraft with 513 jets. India has 6 aerial tankers while Pakistan has 4. In terms of helicopters, India has 899 while Pakistan has 373.

Navy

India has a long maritime border with economic and security interests in the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, Pakistan has a maritime border along the Arabian Sea only. India has a much stronger and larger Navy than Pakistan with a fleet strength of 293 compared to its arch-rival's 121.

Two aircraft carriers - INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant and other platforms like destroyers, corvettes, frigates, and submarines, make India a Blue-water navy. It means India as a maritime force can operate globally and can bring its fighter jets and other lethal weapon systems to any part of the world with its carriers. The US Navy is the largest Blue Water Navy in the world.

India has 18 submarines while the neighbouring country has 8. Pakistan also has zero destroyers.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has zero aircraft carriers, and its limited strength makes it a 'Green-water Navy' that can operate in its region.

According to News18, intel report said that the forensic analysis and survivor testimony confirmed the use of military-grade weapons and communication devices, indicating logistical support from trained handlers.