Border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan intensified overnight, with both sides reporting heavy casualties. Pakistan's defense minister said his country was in an "open war" with its neighbor.
Amid the ongoing tensions, data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London shows that Pakistan has significantly greater military resources and more modern capabilities, BTA writes, citing "Reuters".
Overview
Pakistan's armed forces are well-equipped in terms of personnel and equipment, including through arms supplies from its key partner China. Islamabad continues to invest in its nuclear program and in the modernization of its navy and air force.
For its part, the capabilities of the Taliban-led Afghan forces are weakening. Since returning to power in 2021, they have captured a significant amount of foreign equipment, but are struggling to maintain and use it. The lack of international recognition further hampers modernization.
Personnel
Pakistan has about 660,000 active military personnel – approximately 560,000 in the army, 70,000 in the air force, and 30,000 in the navy.
The active strength of the Afghan forces is estimated at around 172,000, with plans to increase to 200,000.
Armored vehicles and artillery
Pakistan has over 6,000 armored fighting vehicles and more than 4,600 artillery systems.
Afghanistan also possesses armored vehicles, including Soviet-era tanks and armored personnel carriers, but exact numbers have not been publicly confirmed. The same applies to the available artillery.
Air Force
Pakistan has about 465 combat aircraft and over 260 helicopters, including multi-role, attack and transport aircraft.
Afghanistan does not have a combat aircraft of fighter aircraft and does not have a functioning air force in the classical sense. It is believed that it has at least six aircraft, some of them from the Soviet era, as well as 23 helicopters, but their technical condition is unclear.
Nuclear arsenal
Pakistan is a nuclear state with approximately 170 warheads. Afghanistan does not possess a nuclear arsenal.