A new one-front reinforced hazard - China–Pakistan collusion - has emerged as India’s most pressing security concern, argues a recent opinion piece. Once merely theoretical, this covert alliance now demands urgent shifts in India’s defence posture, force modernisation, and strategic signalling (The Hindu).

Military analysts warn that traditional planning for separate China and Pakistan threats no longer suffices: Beijing’s growing military cooperation with Islamabad - from shared tech transfers to joint operations - amplifies risk through a two-front, multi-domain challenge. Pakistan, armed with Chinese-made J‑10C fighters and air defence systems, effectively serves as an experimental ground for Chinese military hardware, boosting PLA capabilities.

India’s military currently lacks the scale and resilience to handle simultaneous threats across its Himalayan and western fronts. Analysts stress the need for surveillance expansion, rapid-reaction units, networked warfare readiness, and a shift from linear to integrated defence strategies . Equally critical is stronger diplomatic and media messaging to deter collusion and reinforce alliances.

As skirmishes like Operation Sindoor and drone wars unfold, defence experts insist on a comprehensive strategy - "josh with hosh" - blending resolve with caution. Failing to adapt, India risks being outpaced by this evolving China–Pakistan frontier.