The armed forces have stepped up military pressure along the unpredictable Line of Control in the result of the Pulwama terror attack, with Pakistan army to raise its alert levels, but the leading feeling is that the government needs to gravely believe option for the imperfect cross-border strike to compel Islamabad to modify its behavior.
The military option, short of going to war, could range from 'shallow' ground-based attacks and profession of some heights along the LoC to control but accuracy air strike against 'non-state targets' in PoK, senior military officers said. There is growing agreement in the security establishment that carefully-calibrated airborne strike is among the most viable and effectual options to teach a lesson to Pakistan, with the ground-based 'surgical strikes' of September 2016 having somewhat lost their constituent of surprise.
Fighters like Sukhoi-30MKIs, Mirage-2000s, and Jaguars, armed with 'smart' glide bombs and missiles, can be used to take out some terror camps and open pads near the LoC from 'stand-off ranges' without even crossing into Pakistani airspace. "Preparation time for such air strikes is smallest," said an officer on the condition of mystery.
Then, the 90-km Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems and the 290-km BrahMos supersonic journey armaments can be used to target Pakistani army posts, terror camps, launch pads, and dramatization areas.
But exercise any such coercive choice will want political will to risk reprisal and growth, with Pakistan clearly being no military pushover.
"There is a crowd of military options obtainable depending on the time, place and kind of bludgeon system to be used without crossing the doorsill. The aim would be to target the terror communications in PoK, not the Pakistan heartland or its citizens," said another officer.
Officers compete for the use of hard military option against terror-training camps, even although many of them may be temporary, will send an unambiguous message to Pakistan, and is a risk worth attractive because the ambassadorial unpleasant against Pakistan has failed to deliver the goods. "Pulwama is a big tragedy. But it was coming, and Pakistan's hand is all over it. How long will we persist to take hits? We have to seriously start looking at some hard-kinetic options," said Lt Gen D S Hooda (retd), who oversaw the "surgical strikes" in 2016 as the Northern Command chief.
"Mediation with Pakistan is not working, with China support it to the hilt. One surgical strike in three years is not going to change Pakistan's attitude… India needs a reliable, long-term strategy, with options in the military sphere not being ruled out," he added.
But some in the safety establishment also strike a word of concern. The use of any air or missile strike on Pakistani territory, back as it will have to be with troop mobilization on the ground, is bound to be escalators as well as lead to security damage in the nonappearance of hard intellect and target coordinate.
