New Delhi: Pakistan is advancing the modernisation of its nuclear capabilities with military and economic backing from China, according to the latest World Threat Assessment released by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) on Sunday. The report states that Pakistan continues to perceive India as a primary threat, influencing its strategic and military decisions.
“Pakistan is modernising its nuclear arsenal and maintaining the security of its nuclear materials and nuclear command and control,” the
report noted. It also stated
that the country “almost certainly procures WMD-applicable goods from foreign suppliers and intermediaries.”
The assessment identifies the Pakistani military’s near-term priorities, which include maintaining cross-border confrontations with regional adversaries and expanding its nuclear capabilities. The report suggests that weapons of mass destruction (WMD) materials and technology are being sourced with assistance from China, and routed through intermediaries in Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Although China continues to be Pakistan’s largest provider of military equipment, the alliance is facing challenges. “The relationship has been strained by a series of terrorist attacks targeting Chinese nationals working in Pakistan,” the report stated, calling the incidents a “growing source of tension.”
On India, the DIA report said, “Pakistan regards India as an existential threat and will continue to pursue its military modernisation effort, including the development of battlefield nuclear weapons, to offset India’s conventional military advantage.”
The document also provides details on a recent escalation between India and Pakistan. In response to a late-April terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, India launched missile strikes targeting infrastructure linked to terrorism inside Pakistani territory. “The missile strike provoked multiple rounds of missile, drone, and loitering munition attacks, and heavy artillery fire, by both militaries from 7 to 10 May,” the report stated. It added that both sides agreed to a full ceasefire as of May 10.
The report also assessed India’s broader strategic focus, noting that New Delhi is strengthening defence partnerships across the Indian Ocean to respond to China’s regional influence. It observed ongoing military and technological initiatives under India’s “Made in India” program, aimed at boosting domestic defence manufacturing and securing supply chains.
On the India-China border situation, the report mentioned that both countries have agreed to pull back forces from two remaining friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. However, the territorial disagreement remains unsettled.
The DIA report also recorded India’s progress in missile development, citing recent tests of the Agni-I Prime medium-range ballistic missile and the Agni-V with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles. Additionally, it noted the commissioning of a second nuclear-powered submarine.
The agency concluded that India will likely maintain its strategic defence relationship with Russia through 2025, with continued reliance on Russian spare parts, even as the purchase of new systems declines.