The recent conflict between India and Pakistan kept the region on tenterhooks. The clash between two nuclear-armed neighbours was deeply troubling. Though limited in scale this time, the conflict was uniquely different. It saw emergence and widespread use of electronic warfare tools, precision guided munitions and drone warfare. According to Federation of Nuclear Scientists, each side now has 170 warheads. This stockpile if used could kill millions and render South Asia uninhabitable, perhaps in perpetuity. 

What made matters worse was absence of any formal communications channels. This added to the fear of escalation and miscalculation. It was the most serious conflict since the two arch rivals’ demonstrated nuclear capability in May 1998. Had the conflict spiraled, it could have been catastrophic for South Asia as much as Indian Ocean region, home to some 2.9 billion.