The US Defense Intelligence Agency report highlights India’s military priorities, Pakistan’s growing nuclear arsenal, and China’s pivotal role in supporting Islamabad.
May 26, 2025: A new report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reveals that while India sees China as its primary adversary and Pakistan as a secondary security concern, Islamabad’s military modernisation and nuclear ambitions remain a persistent threat. The 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment report underscores evolving regional conflicts, military build-ups, and China’s influential role in Pakistan’s defence programs.
India’s Focus on China and Military Self-Reliance
According to the report, India’s defense priorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely remain centred on demonstrating global leadership, countering China’s influence, and modernising the Indian armed forces. Despite ongoing skirmishes with Pakistan, India is primarily focused on addressing the broader strategic challenge posed by Beijing.
“India almost certainly will continue promoting its ‘Made in India’ initiative this year to build its domestic defense industry, mitigate supply chain concerns, and modernise its military,” the DIA report stated. It cited India’s test of the nuclear-capable Agni-I Prime missile, its development of multiple re-entry vehicles, and the commissioning of a second nuclear-powered submarine in 2024 as significant milestones.
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The report also touched upon the India-China border dispute, noting that last year’s disengagement “did not resolve the longstanding dispute about border demarcation but reduced some tension still lingering” from the 2020 clash.
India-Pakistan Skirmishes and Operation Sindoor
The assessment mentioned the recent escalation between India and Pakistan, including missile and drone exchanges in early May, following India’s strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack. “As of 10 May, both militaries had agreed to a full ceasefire,” the report said.
India-Russia Relationship Still Valued
Despite reducing purchases of Russian-origin military equipment, India still relies heavily on Russian spare parts to maintain its tanks and aircraft. “India sees its ties with Russia as important for achieving its economic and defense objectives and as a means to offset deepening Russia-China relations,” the report added.
Pakistan’s Existential Threat Perception and WMD Drive
The report painted a stark picture of Pakistan’s military priorities, highlighting the country’s view of India as an existential threat and its ongoing efforts to modernise battlefield nuclear weapons. “Pakistan is modernising its nuclear arsenal and maintaining the security of its nuclear materials,” it said. It also noted that Pakistan “almost certainly procures WMD-applicable goods from foreign suppliers, particularly China.”
“Foreign materials and technology supporting Pakistan’s WMD programs are very likely acquired primarily from suppliers in China, and sometimes transshipped through Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, and the UAE,” the report said.
However, despite this close military partnership, China-Pakistan relations face some friction. In 2024, seven Chinese nationals were killed in terror attacks targeting Chinese workers in Pakistan, a growing concern for Beijing.
Tensions in the Region
The report also noted Pakistan’s uneasy relations with neighbours. It referenced cross-border airstrikes between Pakistan and Iran in January 2024, and fresh clashes between Pakistani and Taliban border forces in September 2024, along with a brief artillery exchange with Afghanistan in March 2025.
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India-China, Pakistan-China, India-Pakistan, US Defense Intelligence Agency, WMD programs, regional conflicts, nuclear modernisation, Modi, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, military strategy, South Asia security, OperationSindoor,