Signalian
PDF THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
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PA has forces available to undertake offensives against enemy forces. These are division, brigade and ad hoc level armored forces which Ukraine doesn't have. Secondly, PA has active aviation arm in the form of manned and un manned weapons delivery systems.Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, but I was watching this video...
... about the weapons used in Ukraine that turned the tide of the war for the Ukrainians.
The 3 listed in this video are;
1. Javelin/NLAW
2. HIMARS
3. Artillery coordinated by drones
My question is - does PA have thier own equivalent?
The ATGM system you mentioned is good for defending a location against enemy armor or ambushing enemy armor. MLRS or HIMARs are good against enemy stationary forces, depots or bases. Artillery can help in many ways, even tank plinking with correct ammunition or denying enemy capability to operate in a certain zone. However, since drones can be shot down and satellites are expensive to operate to provide resources for all sectors in a war, so the suitable option comes out as Stratospheric balloons. These are high-altitude balloons useful for surveillance missions. Their low cost and ability to operate for days while staying out of reach of enemy aircrafts and SAMs, makes them invaluable. Probably a missile in terms of ASAT capability is needed to bring them down.
As for tactics, Indian Army is mobile and poised for Corps Level armored operations, if it can manage. Still, Indian Army knows that Pakistan Army will keep throwing in ad hoc/harassing forces to throw its major armored offensive off balance. One Pakistani commander did that twice, each time in 1965 and 1971. In 1965 he led a lone armored regiment to blunt advance of Indian Army's 1st Armored Division, while in 1971 now promoted Brigadier, he formed a force (Changez force) of some ~80 MBTs and 50 APCs and harassed an Infantry Division that it couldn't achieve its objective. Changez force kept losing MBTs during course of war but it done what it was intended to do by the end of war. A smaller mobile force which forms hit and run tactics is manageable and effective.
Basically what Pakistan can put to offset armored offensive by India is shown below:
Use any combination of that wherever required.
1. MLRS
2. MBT
3. C4I
4. SP Arty
5. ATGM carrier
6. Radar (for SP AD)
and then these:
1. NASR ( but there is also HATF-1/2/3 which are short range ballistic missiles with/without nuclear payload)
2. UCAV
3. Gunship with ATGM
Use a combination of above forces. Keep flanking enemy from sides using mobile forces which hit the enemy and then retreat. Send UCAVs to take out enemy supply trucks, support trucks, fuel trucks, ammunition trucks etc. Without proper logistics, armored forces crumble. Deceive the enemy by making them think that they will be expecting a larger defensive force. When the attack starts, take out 1/3 of enemy armored assets (a troop (4 tanks) in a squadron (12-15 tanks), a squadron (12-15 tanks) in a regiment (45-59 tanks) and so on). Enemy is forced to recalculate again and again over continuing the attack, sending in more forces, holding ground or retreating.
Enemy starts an offensive and if UCAV's or Gunships or mobile armored forces takes out 1/3 of its force before it makes contact with defensive force initially assigned to bear the onslaught, the enemy has lost the edge already and now defensive forces will stand a better chance of defensing own region.
Ukrainian-Russian war is different from India-Pakistan scenario.
but imagine the poor infinitary having to carry a TOW around or HJ8.