Every major military power has, at some point, had to find out in real time whether decades of doctrine and equipment actually hold up in combat. The United States tested precision strike and networked battlefield systems in Iraq and Afghanistan.
China has used exercises around Taiwan and in the South China Sea to stress-test its navy, air force and missile systems. For India, the last such test before 2025 was Kargil in 1999. Operation Sindoor, the four-day military confrontation with Pakistan in May 2025, became the next one.
