The morning of February 26, 2019, marked a significant shift in the Indo-Pak conflict. India had just conducted a successful airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan. This was the first time since the 1971 Indo-Pak war that India had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and conducted a military operation inside Pakistan.
The airstrike was a response to the Pulwama terror attack that had taken place on February 14, 2019, in which 40 Indian soldiers were killed. The Indian government had made it clear that it would not tolerate any kind of terror attack on its soil and would take decisive action against those responsible.
The airstrike was a major success for India and sent a strong message to Pakistan that it would not tolerate any kind of terror activity on its soil. The airstrike also marked a shift in the Indo-Pak conflict as it showed that India was willing to take decisive action against any kind of terror activity.
The success of the airstrike has raised questions about the role of conventional military hardware such as artillery and armor in future Indo-Pak conflicts. It is highly unlikely that conventional military hardware will play a major role in any future Indo-Pak conflict due to the nuclear overhang. The nuclear overhang means that both countries are aware of the catastrophic consequences of a full-scale war and are thus likely to avoid it at all costs.
Instead, it is likely that future Indo-Pak conflicts will be fought through diplomatic and economic means. India has already shown its willingness to use economic measures such as trade embargoes and sanctions against Pakistan in order to pressure it into taking action against terror groups operating from its soil. India has also used diplomatic channels to raise international pressure on Pakistan to take action against terror groups operating from its soil.
In conclusion, it is highly unlikely that conventional military hardware such as artillery and armor will play a major role in any future Indo-Pak conflict due to the nuclear overhang. Instead, future conflicts are likely to be fought through diplomatic and economic means. India has already shown its willingness to use these measures in order to pressure Pakistan into taking action against terror groups operating from its soil. This shift in the Indo-Pak conflict is likely to continue in the future as both countries seek to avoid a full-scale war due to the catastrophic consequences of such an event.