Hegemony in Action: Deconstructing India’s Exercise ‘Trishul’ Deception

(By Khalid Masood)

In the fragile ecosystem of South Asian security, where the line between military posturing and all-out war is perilously thin, India has once again chosen the path of escalatory brinkmanship. The announcement of “Exercise Trishul” (Oct 30-Nov 10, 2025), is not a ‘routine’ drill as the spin from New Delhi would have the world believe. It is a calculated, dangerous, and deeply provocative rehearsal for war, aimed squarely at the heart of Pakistan.

This is not conjecture. This analysis, based on the exercise’s declared parameters, its operational context, and the chillingly jingoistic rhetoric of India’s political leadership, exposes ‘Trishul’ for what it is: a direct threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and a deliberate move to destabilise a nuclear-armed region.

To understand the gravity of ‘Trishul’, one must view it not as an isolated event, but as the grim culmination of a year marked by unprecedented Indian aggression. This is the playbook of a revisionist power, openly signalling its hegemonic designs.

The Pretext: A Pattern of Indian Belligerence

‘Trishul’ does not emerge from a vacuum. It follows a deliberate, two-part escalation by India in 2025.

First, in May 2025, India unleashed “Operation Sindoor,” a brazen act of aggression disguised as a counter-terrorism operation. Under this pretext, Indian aircraft and missiles struck deep inside Pakistani territory, targeting sites near Bahawalpur and Muridke, and even military installations like the Nur-Khan and Bholari airbases by employing over-hyped BrahMos missiles. While India fabricated its usual narrative of targeting “terror infrastructure,” Pakistani reports confirmed the tragic reality: the strikes hit civilian areas, including mosques, resulting in the martyrdom of 31 Pakistani civilians. This was a clear violation of international law and a reckless military adventure designed to test Pakistan’s resolve.

Second, having set the precedent for “deep strikes,” India’s political leadership moved to codify the threat. In early October 2025, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in a statement dripping with belligerence, issued a direct threat against Pakistan regarding the Sir Creek region. Declaring that any Pakistani move would be met with a response to “change both history and geography,” he delivered the most ominous line of all: “one route to Karachi passes through the creek.”

This was not a slip of the tongue. It was an open, irredentist claim on Pakistan’s economic hub and a vital artery of the Pakistan Navy.

Within weeks of this naked threat, the NOTAM for ‘Trishul’ was issued. Its area of operations? Precisely the “desert and creek sectors” and “Saurashtra coast” that Rajnath Singh had just highlighted. This exercise is, therefore, the direct and undisguised operationalization of a public threat to invade Pakistan and seize some part of Sindh or may be the city of Karachi.

Anatomy of an Offensive Rehearsal

The technical details of ‘Trishul’ strip away any pretence of it being “defensive.” The Indian Ministry of Defence’s emphasis on “jointness, self-reliance, and innovation” is a thin veil for practicing a multi-domain offensive.

1. A Tri-Service Invasion Force: A routine defensive exercise does not require the full-spectrum integration of an Army, Navy, and Air Force on a sensitive, live border. The inclusion of the Indian Navy and “amphibious manoeuvres” is the most damning clue. This is not about border skirmishes; it is about practicing a full-scale amphibious assault on Pakistan’s coastline—precisely as Rajnath Singh’s threat to Karachi implies. The Army’s land manoeuvres in the desert sector (Rajasthan) are designed to simultaneously breach the land border in Sindh, creating a pincer movement to cut off and lay siege to Pakistan’s southern provinces.
2. The 28,000-Foot Dagger: The reservation of airspace up to 28,000 feet is not for simple air cover. This altitude is for high-level air dominance, electronic warfare, and, most critically, the launching of deep-strike cruise missiles (like BrahMos and SCALP) and precision bombs. This component is designed to practice decapitating Pakistan’s command and control, destroying its air defences, and clearing a corridor for the land and sea invasion—a lesson they believe they “tested” during Operation Sindoor.
3. The ‘Aatmanirbharta’ Deception: India’s buzzword, “Aatmanirbharta” (self-reliance), is not about peaceful indigenous development. In the strategic context, it is a sinister drive to create a war machine that is independent of foreign suppliers. The goal is to “sanction-proof” its military, allowing it to wage a war of aggression against Pakistan without fear of international arms embargoes or diplomatic pressure. ‘Trishul’ is the proving ground for these new indigenous systems, testing their ability to sustain a high-intensity offensive.

The Haunting Spectre of ‘Brasstacks 2.0’

For any student of South Asian military history, the parallels are undeniable and deeply alarming. ‘Trishul’ is “Operation Brasstacks 2.0.”

In 1986-87, Indian General K. Sundarji, the architect of ‘Brasstacks’, mobilized over half a million troops and a vast armoured contingent to the Rajasthan border under the guise of an exercise. As analysis from both Pakistani and, revealingly, Indian military figures (like General P.N. Hoon) later confirmed, Brasstacks “was no military exercise” but a “plan… for a fourth war with Pakistan,” designed to dismember the country. It was a reckless gambit that brought two nuclear-capable states to the absolute brink of Armageddon.

Today, India’s new regime, drunk on its own jingoistic rhetoric, is dusting off that same dangerous playbook. The components are identical:

• A massive, multi-corps, tri-service mobilization.
• A location (Rajasthan/Sindh border) ideal for an offensive.
• The use of an “exercise” as a cover for a potential decapitating strike.
• An accompanying campaign of belligerent political rhetoric.

The Indian establishment is deliberately recreating the 1987 crisis, believing its conventional and economic superiority gives it licence to play with nuclear fire. It has forgotten, or chosen to ignore, that such gambits are the primary cause of strategic miscalculation—the very spark that could ignite an uncontrollable conflagration.

Pakistan’s Measured Resolve vs. Indian ‘Panic’ Propaganda

In the face of this clear and present danger, Pakistan’s response has been one of calm, strength, and sovereign responsibility. The issuance of reciprocal NOTAMs and the placing of its armed forces on high alert is not, as the hysterical Indian media claims, a sign of “panic.” It is the only prudent and necessary action for a nation that has been attacked by its neighbour just months prior and is now the target of a massive invasion rehearsal on its border.

It is the supreme irony that Indian media outlets, whose own government is staging the single most destabilising military drill in decades, accuses Pakistan of being “rattled.” This is a classic case of an arsonist blaming the fire department for ringing the alarm.

Pakistan does not seek conflict. It is India that has consistently demonstrated its preference for coercion over dialogue. However, Pakistan’s armed forces, as articulated by the ISPR, are fully prepared to answer any misadventure with a response that will be “swift, decisive, and destructive.” India must not mistake Pakistan’s desire for peace as a sign of weakness. The nation’s resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity is absolute.

The True Implications: A Region Held Hostage

The risks and implications of ‘Trishul’ extend far beyond the immediate border.

• Destruction of Crisis Stability: India is normalising massive, offensive military mobilizations as a tool of statecraft. This shatters any semblance of crisis stability and lowers the threshold for war. It creates a “cry wolf” scenario where any future Indian exercise could be the real invasion, forcing Pakistan to maintain a costly and perpetual state of high alert.
• Invitation to Miscalculation: The greatest risk is a catastrophic miscalculation by India. By placing its forces in a “launch” posture, India creates a hair-trigger environment where a minor border skirmish, a technical malfunction, or a rogue action could be misinterpreted as the “go” signal, triggering a devastating Pakistani counter-response.
• A Call for International Censure: The international community, particularly those powers who partner with India, must awaken to the danger. By appeasing New Delhi and turning a blind eye to its aggressive nationalism, they are emboldening a hegemonic actor. Their silence in the face of ‘Trishul’ is a green light for further Indian belligerence. The world must hold India accountable for recklessly endangering the peace of a nuclear flashpoint.

Conclusion: The Onus for Peace Lies with New Delhi

Exercise Trishul is a farce. It is not about “readiness” or “innovation.” It is a meticulously planned act of state-level intimidation, a dress rehearsal for an offensive war, and a direct operational follow-up to the aggressive threats made by India’s own Defence Minister.

It is India that has consistently chosen the path of escalation, from the unprovoked aggression of Operation Sindoor to the irredentist threats against Karachi. Pakistan, in contrast, has demonstrated maturity and resolve. While our forces stand vigilant, ready to defend every inch of our homeland, our position remains clear: we are a peace-loving nation that will not be goaded into a conflict.

But let there be no ambiguity. If India, in its hubris, mistakes this exercise for an opportunity and miscalculates, it will be met with the full force of the Pakistani nation. The onus for de-escalation and for pulling the region back from the brink of a crisis of its own making lies squarely and solely with New Delhi. The world is watching.