Let us not forget what the geo-political scenario was before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. The virus may have done little to contain the expansionist and nuclear tendencies of certain nations. Let us ensure their actions at this crucial time are not forgotten once all this is over. The Indian govt  must reply to these irresponsible actions with equal measure in the near future.

Pakistan Testing Missiles Despite Coronavirus Outbreak

Pakistan recently tried to launch a Chinese supplied cruise missile called “Babur II” but suffered a major setback as the launch was marred by a crash. 

The 750-kilometre range missile’s delivery platform crashed and fell two minutes after taking flight. The flight had travelled the elevation distance of 14 kilometres from the launchpad at Sonmiani test range in Baluchistan on March 19. Looks like naming their missiles after barbarous Mughal invaders is doing little to get it in the air. China and Pakistan both have evaded the missile technology control protocol.

Pakistan is one of the worst hit countries with COVID-19 in South Asia and is beginning to explode there, with over 1000 confirmed cases Pakistan is still aiming for nuclear dominance.

China Deploys 12 Underwater Drones To Monitor Indian Ocean Region

China has deployed a fleet of underwater drones in the Indian Ocean. According to Chinese government sources, the drones were launched in mid-December 2019 and recovered in February after making more than 3,400 observations. These Sea Wing gliders are a type of Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) which can operate for months on end.

The gliders are similar to ones deployed by the U.S. Navy. When China seized a U.S. Navy ocean glider in 2016 the stated reason was to ensure “safe navigation of passing ships.” Taken at face value, it may be surprising that China is now deploying these types of UUV en masse in the Indian Ocean. China has also deployed the Sea Wing from an ice breaker in the Arctic.

As the world deals with the Wuhan Coronavirus crisis, the Pakistan government is still conducting missile tests and failing at it. Meanwhile, China has deployed underwater drones in the Indian ocean which experts say could be monitoring naval activities. This is not the time for war strategies, not for China and definitely not for Pakistan. Let us hope both these belligerent countries wakeup to the realities they are facing and behave accordingly.

Our Bureau