There has been much propaganda by the Indian media against Pakistan testing its missiles. However, it is essential to understand the core reasoning behind the practice as it is not merely for optics and show.
There is an age-old military proverb, Si vis Pacem, Para Bellum, which means that If one wants peace, they must prepare for war. It basically means that while one must always aspire towards peace, not being prepared for war is the utmost folly.
Missiles are an essential component of any defense strategy and provide a country with round-the-clock strategic capabilities to protect its sovereignty against any and all threats.
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So it is only natural that this essential capability is always kept ready to use, and our soldiers are trained down to the second to execute the sophisticated series of actions required to utilize these complex systems.
Every time there are missile tests by Pakistan, our eastern Neighbor India is quick to start its propaganda. This manifested most strongly in 2018 and 2017 when almost the entirety of Indian media simultaneously claimed the Babur III SLCM launch that occurred had not been successful.
A video of the launch was shown that had been doctored. They only stopped spreading the lies when multiple experts from the international media disputed their fake claims openly.
Similarly, when Pakistan tested ballistic missile Shaheen-III, a coordinated social media campaign originated from India where they first spread fake news and started propaganda that the missile had failed. They said the “warhead” had exploded in Balochistan, both claims equally ludacris.
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Numerous subsystems need to be thoroughly tested before being operationalized, including the guidance and navigation units, software, flight systems, reentry vehicle(s), solid or liquid fuel, communication systems, rocket motors, and several hundred other things. Missiles need to be tested to accurately evaluate the various systems being developed for the three services of our armed forces.
While war is always the last option anyone ever wants to take, at least for those with their sense and humanity intact, it is the responsibility of our military to be ready for any scenario that might occur, which is why such steps need to be taken with seriousness.