When tensions flared once again between India and Pakistan in May 2025, many feared a repeat of the usual pattern cross-border accusations, limited strikes, and international calls for restraint. But this time, something changed. The latest military confrontation between two of South Asia’s nuclear-armed neighbors did not just mark another chapter in a decades long rivalry it indicates a transformation in how war is waged in the region.

It began with an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that quickly escalated. India responded with a series of missile strikes on May 6, reportedly targeting not just positions across the Line of Control (LoC), but also deeper into Pakistan, and in return, Pakistan retaliated. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) claimed to have shot down four Indian fighter jets, including the crown jewel of India’s air force, the French-made Rafale. India denied some of these claims, but what is undeniable is that this skirmish was unlike any we’ve seen before.

More than just a test of firepower, this episode marked the beginning of a new type of warfare, one dominated by integrated systems, precision strikes, information warfare, and artificial intelligence.

Beyond the Fighter Jet

The downing of a Rafale by a Chinese-origin J-10C may seem like a simple tactical success, but it tells a much deeper story. On paper, the Rafale is far superior—a 4.5-generation aircraft with cutting-edge avionics, stealth capabilities, and the Meteor missile, which is widely regarded as the most advanced air-to-air missile in the world.
But this wasn’t just about aircraft.

What Pakistan demonstrated was a coherent “system of systems”—where aircraft, radars, ground controllers, and command networks all worked together in real time. As Michael Dahm, a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute, aptly summarised, “The story is not about aircraft generation, it’s about systems-of-systems.”

© The Friday Times