Fatima Khan Profile picture
May 14 3 tweets 6 min read Read on X
Global Military Power:

Military power today is not just about the number of soldiers or tanks. It involves:

1.Defense Budget – Money drives modernization, weapons R&D, and global operations.

2.Nuclear Capabilities – Still a core pillar of strategic deterrence.

3.Technology & Innovation – Drones, cyber warfare, stealth, AI, space.

4.Global Reach & Bases – Power projection across oceans or continents.

5.Combat Readiness & Experience – How fast and effectively a country can fight.

6.Domestic Military Industry – Self-reliance in weapons production.

1. United States 🇺🇸

•Why #1?: Dominance in every category — budget (~$850B), 11 aircraft carriers, 800+ global bases, unmatched stealth air power, space dominance, and cyber warfare.

•Qualitative Edge: World’s strongest Air Force (F-22, F-35), Navy, and drone capabilities.

•Global Projection: The U.S. can strike anywhere, anytime.

2. Russia 🇷🇺

•Strengths: World’s largest nuclear stockpile, heavy land power, strong air defense systems (S-400, S-500), massive artillery.

•Tactical Doctrine: Heavy use of missile strikes, hybrid warfare, and battlefield nuclear threats.

•Ukraine war showed both its strength and logistical weaknesses.

3. China 🇨🇳

•Rapid modernization: Largest navy in the world by ship count. Building 5th-gen stealth fighters, hypersonic missiles, satellites.

•Geopolitical Ambition: Aiming to challenge U.S. dominance in Asia-Pacific.

•Defense Industry: Fastest-growing, now largely self-sufficient (J-20, DF-17).

4. India 🇮🇳

•Strengths: World’s 4th largest military by personnel, nuclear-armed, large tank and air fleet, expanding navy.

•Key Edge: Strategic location between China, Pakistan, and sea trade routes.

•Modernization: Indigenous missiles (Agni), aircraft (Tejas), INS Arihant nuclear subs.

5. United Kingdom 🇬🇧

•Global Force Projection: Aircraft carriers (HMS Queen Elizabeth), nuclear subs, elite special forces.

•Defense Diplomacy: Strong NATO presence, AUKUS deal with US/Australia.

•Smart Military: Small but very high-tech.

6. South Korea 🇰🇷

•Readiness: Constant alert due to North Korean threat.

•Modern Tech: AI-based defense systems, indigenous missile systems, K2 tanks, and strong air force.

•U.S. Alliance: Supported by 28,000 U.S. troops on the peninsula.

7. France 🇫🇷

•Independent Nuclear Power: Air and submarine-launched nukes.

•Active Military: Frequent global interventions (Africa, Middle East).

•Weapons Industry: Rafale jets, Scorpène subs, and carrier Charles de Gaulle.

8. Japan 🇯🇵

•Tech Edge: Advanced missile defense (Aegis), F-35 fleet, robotic systems.

•Pacifist Constitution limits aggression, but regional threats (China, NK) are driving massive rearmament.

•Maritime Strength: Top-class destroyers and submarines.

9. Germany 🇩🇪

•Economic Giant with high-tech weapons (Leopard 2 tanks).

•NATO Role: Now increasing defense spending post-Ukraine invasion.

•Weakness: Historically underfunded post-WWII military; now being rebuilt.

10. Italy 🇮🇹

•Naval Strength: One of Europe’s most capable navies.

•NATO & EU Role: Central to Mediterranean defense.

•Modernizing: Eurofighters, FREMM frigates, carriers like Cavour.
11. Israel 🇮🇱

•Nuclear Capability: Not officially confirmed, but widely acknowledged.

•Military Edge: Iron Dome, cyber warfare, and elite special ops.

•Combat Experience: Regular regional conflicts ensure readiness.

•Innovation: Drone warfare pioneers, AI-enabled battlefield tech.

12. Turkey 🇹🇷

•Strategic Location: Between Europe, Middle East, and Central Asia.

•Large Army: Strong in numbers and equipment.

•Domestic Defense Boom: Producing tanks, missiles, and the Bayraktar TB2 drones.

•Regional Ambitions: Active in Syria, Libya, and Eastern Mediterranean.

13. Brazil 🇧🇷

•Largest Latin American military: Over 360,000 active personnel.

•Focus: Regional defense, border security, Amazon protection.

•Growing Defense Industry: Embraer (aircraft), armored vehicles.

14. Pakistan 🇵🇰

•Nuclear Power: Significant strategic deterrent, especially vs. India.

•Experienced Army: Involved in Kashmir, anti-terror ops.

•Chinese Alliance: Close ties with China, defense tech sharing.

15. Egypt 🇪🇬

•Largest military in Arab world

•Heavily Armed: U.S., Russian, and French equipment.

•Strategic Zone: Controls Suez Canal, vital for global trade and defense.

16. Iran 🇮🇷

•Strengths: Large standing army, ballistic missile program, and regional influence via proxy forces (e.g., Hezbollah, militias in Iraq, Syria, Yemen).

•Military Focus: Asymmetric warfare, drones, and missile strikes.

•Nuclear Ambition: Under international scrutiny.

17. North Korea 🇰🇵

•Nuclear-Armed: Estimated to possess dozens of nuclear warheads.

•Massive Army: One of the largest in terms of manpower.

•Unpredictable Threat: Missile tests and aggressive posturing.

18. Ukraine 🇺🇦

•Combat-Tested: After 2022, Ukraine has built one of the most experienced armies in Europe.

•Western Support: Receives advanced weapons, intelligence, and training from NATO countries.

•Innovation: Effective use of drones, cyber defense, and modern tactics.

19. Indonesia 🇮🇩

•Largest Military in Southeast Asia

•Strong air, land, and naval forces

•Strategic Importance: Controls key sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific.

20. Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

•High Defense Budget: Among the top 5 spenders globally.

•Modern Weapons: Purchases advanced systems from the US and Europe.

•Regional Influence: Active in Yemen and as a Gulf security player.

Top 20 Military Powers in the world (based on strength, budget, nuclear capability, technology, and global reach

1. United States (USA)

•Nuclear: Yes
•Defense Budget Rank: #1
•Aircraft Carriers: 11
•Global Bases: Extensive (800+ worldwide)
•Defense Industry: World’s strongest

2. Russia

•Nuclear: Yes (Largest stockpile)
•Defense Budget Rank: #3–4
•Aircraft Carriers: 1
•Global Bases: Limited
•Defense Industry: Strong (missiles, tanks, air defense)
3. China

•Nuclear: Yes
•Defense Budget Rank: #2
•Aircraft Carriers: 3 (more under construction)
•Global Bases: Growing (e.g., Djibouti)
•Defense Industry: Fast-growing, nearing self-sufficiency

4. India

•Nuclear: Yes
•Defense Budget Rank: #4–5
•Aircraft Carriers: 2 (INS Vikrant, INS Vikramaditya)
•Global Bases: Limited (strategic ports like Duqm, Mauritius)
•Defense Industry: Improving (Make in India push)

5. United Kingdom (UK)

•Nuclear: Yes
•Defense Budget Rank: #5–6
•Aircraft Carriers: 2 (HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Prince of Wales)
•Global Bases: Yes (e.g., Bahrain, Falklands)
•Defense Industry: High-tech, export-capable

6. France

•Nuclear: Yes
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 10
•Aircraft Carriers: 1 (Charles de Gaulle)
•Global Bases: Yes (Africa, Middle East, overseas territories)
•Defense Industry: Strong, globally competitive

7. South Korea

•Nuclear: No
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 10
•Aircraft Carriers: None (amphibious carriers under development)
•Global Bases: Limited
•Defense Industry: Highly advanced (K2 tanks, jets, warships)

8. Japan

•Nuclear: No
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 10
•Aircraft Carriers: 2 (helicopter carriers, being converted for F-35s)
•Global Bases: Limited (US alliance)
•Defense Industry: High-tech, expanding rapidly

9. Germany

•Nuclear: No (hosts US nukes under NATO)
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 10
•Aircraft Carriers: None
•Global Bases: NATO presence
•Defense Industry: Strong (Leopard tanks, submarines)

10. Italy

•Nuclear: No (NATO sharing)
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 15
•Aircraft Carriers: 2 (Cavour, Giuseppe Garibaldi)
•Global Bases: NATO role
•Defense Industry: Well-developed (ships, helicopters, electronics)

11. Israel

•Nuclear: Unofficial (widely believed to possess)
•Defense Budget Rank: ~#15
•Aircraft Carriers: None
•Global Bases: Limited
•Defense Industry: Advanced (Iron Dome, drones, cyber warfare)

12. Turkey

•Nuclear: No (NATO ally)
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 15
•Aircraft Carriers: 1 (TCG Anadolu – amphibious assault ship)
•Global Bases: Limited (Qatar, Somalia)
•Defense Industry: Rapidly expanding (Bayraktar drones, tanks)

13. Brazil

•Nuclear: No
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 15
•Aircraft Carriers: None (decommissioned)
•Global Bases: None
•Defense Industry: Regional power (Embraer, armored vehicles)

14. Pakistan

•Nuclear: Yes
•Defense Budget Rank: #20–25
•Aircraft Carriers: None
•Global Bases: None
•Defense Industry: Developing (missiles, tanks, JF-17 with China)

15. Egypt

•Nuclear: No
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 20
•Aircraft Carriers: 2 (Mistral-class amphibious ships)
•Global Bases: None
•Defense Industry: Moderate (relies on imports, developing capacity)

16. Iran

•Nuclear: No (but has enrichment capability)
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 25
•Aircraft Carriers: None
•Global Bases: None, but regional influence via proxies
•Defense Industry: Strong in missiles, drones, and asymmetric warfare

17. North Korea

•Nuclear: Yes
•Defense Budget Rank: Very low, but highly militarized
•Aircraft Carriers: None
•Global Bases: None
•Defense Industry: Missile-focused, large standing army

18. Ukraine

•Nuclear: No (gave up in 1990s)
•Defense Budget Rank: Rising (war-time economy)
•Aircraft Carriers: None
•Global Bases: None
•Defense Industry: Improving rapidly with Western help (combat-proven)

19. Indonesia

•Nuclear: No
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 25
•Aircraft Carriers: None
•Global Bases: None
•Defense Industry: Regional-level, growing naval and air force

20. Saudi Arabia

•Nuclear: No (exploring capability)
•Defense Budget Rank: Top 5–6
•Aircraft Carriers: None
•Global Bases: None
•Defense Industry: High spending, imports most weapons (US, UK, France)

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More from @Fatima_Khatun01

May 13
72 Hours of Reality:

What Actually Happened Between India and Pakistan (No Jingoism, Just Verified Strategic Breakdown)

Hey everyone—Indians, Pakistanis, and international readers alike,

In the middle of all the social media noise, news hyperbole, and geopolitical guessing games, here’s a calm, non-jingoistic, fact-supported breakdown of what actually happened in the recent 72-hour flare-up between India and Pakistan, with quiet but notable Chinese ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) involvement.

This is based on OSINT (open-source intelligence), defense analyst interpretations, and strategic behavior, not chest-thumping.

Let’s walk through it — day by day, signal by signal.

DAY 1 – India Strikes First, Silently and Precisely

After a devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam (J&K), India executed precision air and missile strikes on 10+ terrorist camps in PoK and deep Pakistani territory - not just symbolic cross-border action.

These camps were reportedly operating under Chinese ISR coverage. The presence of Chinese satellite surveillance and uplinks hinted at an expanded support network - not just Pakistan-based.

India kept total strategic ambiguity—no press conferences, no chest-beating.

This allowed:

Escalation control.

Denial leverage.

Time to monitor enemy patterns.

This was timed while U.S. defense envoys were in Delhi, and India was closing a semiconductor deal with Apple. Delhi sent a signal: “We will act—but responsibly.”
DAY 2 – Pakistan Probes, India Studies

Pakistan responded with drone and decoy incursions, testing India’s radar behavior, response time, and coverage.

Indian defense did not retaliate, instead it:

Mapped Pakistan’s ISR patterns.

Logged Chinese satellite coordination windows.

Identified drone relay sources (many near Bhawalpur and Miranshah).

Let Pakistan expose its playbook.

A stealth surveillance drone attempted to land back in Pakistani territory but failed - possibly Chinese-backed tech. It crashed, raising internal red flags.

Pakistan mistook India's silence as hesitation. It wasn't. India was preparing something far more surgical.

DAY 3 – Pakistan Escalates, India Hits Hard and Clean

Evening (~7:00 PM IST): Pakistan’s Miscalculation

Thinking India would avoid further escalation, Pakistan launched its largest attack yet:

Shahed-style Drones

Cruise Missiles

Decoy UAVs

Aimed at radar sites, logistics hubs, and airfields in J&K and Punjab.

Indian S-400, SPYDER, and Akash systems intercepted most targets. Minimal infrastructure loss - but India had drawn its red line.

Night (~2:00 AM IST, technically Day 4): India's Decisive Retaliation

India launched a massive wave of retaliatory strikes - air-launched missiles, precision drone swarms, and high-speed stand-off munitions.
Key targets inside Pakistan

Drone launch hubs used in the Day 3 attack.

Miranshah Air Base – command and storage.

Lahore & Sialkot Air Sectors – Radar and Logistics.

Chinese-supported ISR uplinks - taken out, clean and fast.

Communication and jamming centers in Bhawalpur.

Result:

Pakistani military radar went dark in multiple zones.

ISR uplinks with Chinese satellites were interrupted.

Chinese advisors reportedly withdrew from forward locations by the next morning.

Importantly: No civilian areas were hit.
India struck military targets only, maintaining legal and ethical discipline.

Air Defense & Electronic Warfare

India showed full-spectrum capability:

Electronic Warfare: Jamming enemy drones, spoofing ISR links.

Anti-Drone Systems: Laser + radar combo took out dozens of UAVs.

Satellite-Assisted Targeting: Confirmed via real-time strike precision.

This wasn’t brute retaliation. It was surgical incapacitation of war-fighting capacity.

Chinese Involvement – Silent, Then Silenced

China did not enter the conflict directly.

However, Chinese ISR assets were clearly aiding Pakistan in Days 1–3:

Satellite flyovers timed with Pakistani Drone Ops.

Signal relays and jamming support near key border nodes.

Once India targeted ISR uplinks and command nodes, the Chinese footprint vanished.

No official protest.

No satellite repositioning observed post-strike.

Likely: Beijing pulled back quietly to avoid escalation.
Read 5 tweets
May 13
Was harmonium once`untouchable’ in All India Radio ??

Once upon a time, precisely in 1915, India was a leading producer of the harmonium! Yet, a quarter-century later, it became `untouchable’, so much so that All India Radio ( later  called Akashvani)  had to ban it in 1940 and the instrument,  with a formal burial, was removed from all of its studious located in undivided India.

John Foulds, who headed the Western music wing of All India Radio during its earlier days, believed the harmonium was mute on microtones that were so essential to Indian classical. Lionel Fielden, India’s first broadcasting chief on the request of so many Indian musicians, had to  ban the harmonium   in 1940  as he  too had felt that it (harmonium)  was not suitable to the tonal inflections of Indian classical music

🚨 AIR banished harmonium on March 1, 1940

Soon after Fielden ordered to ban harmonium, this keyboard instrument was banished and literary thrown away from the studios. Its last rites were symbolically performed at All India Radio Lahore by laying it to rest. Some newspapers of that era,  also came out with cartoons and sketches, with other  musical instruments telling harmonium “Dafa Ho jao”Image
Image
Records  reveal that historian Ananda Coomaraswami and even Jawaharlal Nehru.

As a freedom fighter too had found the harmonium `un-Indian’. Thus, the ban on the instrument sustained even after India’s  Independence owing to the attitude of Information and Broadcasting Minister BV Keskar, a student of scholarly vocalist VN Bhatkhande.  During the Indian independence Movement, both British and Indian scholars condemned the harmonium for embodying an unwelcome foreign musical sensibility

Popularity of Harmonium

Harmonium, developed by French inverter was once very popular  musical instrument in the mid-19th century. Considered  a cheaper and more durable alternative to organs and harpsichords, as the latter two often finished the long voyage east warped and unplayable,  Indian craftsmen  had quickly learned to manufacture harmoniums, and soon their compatriots incorporated the instrument into performances of Indian classical music.

In comparison to traditional instruments, the harmonium was easy to tune and a cinch to learn to play. However, as the harmonium became a target of `anti-colonialists’, All-India Radio, the influential state-run broadcaster had to ban it from its programs.
Lifting of ban on Harmonium

The ban was loosened in 1970, after critics  argued that the harmonium “should not be treated as an ‘untouchable.’

  As elites have struggled to cleanse modern Indian music of what they argue is a “foreign” intruder, the masses have used the harmonium as a gateway to an understanding of their musical heritage. Critics opined that harmonium was considered  well suited to teaching the fundamentals of Indian musical grammar and to accompanying choral groups—thus needed recognition and not the ban.

 Today, the harmonium in India thrives in a range of systems: Hindustani, Carnatic, Qawwali, Ghazal, Bhajans, Church choir and Sikh Gurbani besides several traditional and folk music. Even so, solo harmonium concerts continue to be rare on AIR.
Read 8 tweets
May 12
•Historical Context:

In 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War, Pakistani forces were accused of widespread atrocities, including the rape of an estimated 200,000–400,000 Bangladeshi women — a tragic and deeply sensitive part of Bangladesh’s history.

• Recent Incident:

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Syed Amed Maroof, left Dhaka for Islamabad on May 11 reportedly on “leave.”

•Alleged Controversy:

Sources claim Maroof’s sudden departure is linked to his association with a 23-year-old female employee of Bangladesh Bank.

He had stayed in Cox’s Bazar on a two-day visit (May 9–10), where the alleged association reportedly occurred.

•Departure Details:

He left for Pakistan dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans, suggesting an unplanned or urgent exit.Image
Background and Historical Context

•1971 Liberation War Atrocities:

During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Pakistani military forces were accused of mass atrocities, including the rape of an estimated 200,000–400,000 Bangladeshi women. This remains a deep national trauma for Bangladesh and a major unresolved historical grievance between the two countries.

•Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations:

While diplomatic relations exist, they remain tense and emotionally charged due to the legacy of the 1971 war.
Recent Incident: Diplomatic Scandal

•Person Involved:

Syed Ahmed Maroof, the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh, was reported to have had a personal relationship with a 23-year-old Bangladeshi woman, an employee of the Bangladesh Bank (central bank).

•Allegations:

The relationship, allegedly romantic and possibly intimate, became public or known to authorities.

This caused embarrassment within diplomatic and possibly political circles in both countries.

•Events Leading to Departure:

Maroof was on an official visit to Cox’s Bazar from May 9–10, during which time he reportedly stayed in a hotel where this association allegedly occurred.

On May 11, he left for Islamabad, officially “on leave,” but sources suggest the departure was a diplomatic recall or soft dismissal.

He reportedly left wearing casual clothes (T-shirt and jeans), which fueled speculation about the hasty or informal nature of his exit.
Read 5 tweets
May 12
M.O. Mathai was the Private Secretary to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

He served as Nehru’s special assistant from 1946 to 1959. But Nehru’s personal secretary got too personal with Indira Gandhi. Yes, M.O. Mathai who was with Nehru, knew everything about the Nehru family, actually a bit too much. Mathai wrote a book named “Reminiscences of the Nehru Age” in which he has stripped naked the Nehru family. Several secrets of Nehru is revealed but what is more interesting is the chapter of Indira Gandhi titled “She”.Image
Mathai was Indira Gandhi’s secret lover!!!

In his book Mathai has shown immense respect towards Nehru but he has even openly spoken out of the intimate relationship Nehru had with Edwina, Padmaja Naidu (Sarojini Naidu’s daughter), Mridula Sarabhai and many others. Nehru was deeply busy in impressing these ladies that he forgot to take care of India. Eventually, India lost the 1962 Indo-China war.

In that book there was a chapter named “She” which was withdrawn at the last moment. This chapter has pin to pin details of Mathai’s sexual relationship with Indira Gandhi.

Mathai had such a romantic affair with Indira Gandhi that it created distress in Indira Gandhi’s home. It is known fact that Nehru too didn’t like Feroze Gandhi. Mathai says that he was Indira’s lover for twelve long years and even made her pregnant once. But she had an abortion.
Indira Gandhi told Mathai “I want to sleep with you, take me to the wilds tomorrow evening.” Mathai replied that he didn’t have any experience with a woman before. So she gave him two books, one was of Dr Abraham Stone about sex and female anatomy.

She asked him to take her out into the wilds after sundown. She always held Mathai tightly and called him as “Oh, Bhupat I love you”. Indira gave him the name Bhupat, the dacoit and Mathai called her as Putli, the dacoitess. He said that he never knew what real sex was until he had Indira.

The chapter says her ‘cold and forbidding’ reputation was only a measure of ‘feminine self-protection’; she was ‘exceptionally good in bed’; ‘in the sex act she had all the artfulness of French women and Kerala Nair women combined’. Mathai also says that she loved prolonged kissing.
Read 28 tweets

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