The visit of the United States ambassador to India and the top American military commander for the Indo-Pacific to an Indian Army command located barely 250 kilometres from the Pakistan border was never going to go unnoticed in the region. When diplomacy meets frontline military geography, signals matter. The presence of the US Indo-Pacific Command chief at India’s Western Army Command headquarters sends a clear message about strategic alignment, operational trust and shared threat perceptions.
For Pakistan’s military leadership, particularly Army Chief Asim Munir, the optics are unsettling. The visit underlines Washington’s growing comfort with India’s conventional military posture against Pakistan and reinforces New Delhi’s centrality in US Indo-Pacific planning. At a time when Pakistan’s relevance to Washington is shrinking and its military narrative is under strain, the Chandimandir visit amplifies concerns in Rawalpindi that the strategic balance is tilting decisively against it.
Who visited and where
On February 16, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Samuel J Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, visited the headquarters of India’s Western Army Command at Chandimandir near Chandigarh. They were received by Manoj Kumar Katiyar, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the formation.
The Western Command is one of the Indian Army’s most critical operational commands, responsible for large sections of the India-Pakistan frontier and structured for large-scale conventional warfare.
What the US delegation was briefed on
According to the Western Command, the visiting delegation received a detailed briefing on operational responsibilities, readiness posture, historical evolution and recent operational experience. Discussions focused on security challenges along India’s western theatre, an area shaped by decades of hostility and military confrontation with Pakistan.
The briefing included the command’s preparations for conventional contingencies, its evolving operational posture, and lessons drawn from recent real-world engagements. Among these was Operation Sindoor in 2025, during which Indian forces carried out calibrated military actions against Pakistan in response to cross-border provocations.
Operation Sindoor and why it matters to Washington
The Western Command played a central role in Operation Sindoor, coordinating ground forces, artillery and supporting elements during the five-day India-Pakistan military engagement. The operation demonstrated India’s ability to conduct limited conventional strikes under nuclear overhang conditions.
Paparo publicly praised India’s execution of Operation Sindoor during his engagements in New Delhi. He noted that the conflict provided valuable insights into the use of Chinese-origin weapons systems deployed by Pakistan. Coming from a senior US commander with combat experience, the remarks were seen as a tacit endorsement of India’s operational competence and a subtle critique of Pakistan’s military dependencies.
Why the visit unsettles Pakistan and Asim Munir
For Pakistan and its Army Chief Asim Munir, the symbolism is hard to miss. A US four-star commander touring an Indian Army formation designed specifically for conventional war against Pakistan undercuts Rawalpindi’s long-standing narrative of strategic parity and relevance to Washington.
The visit reinforces the perception that the US now views India as a primary military partner in the region, while Pakistan is increasingly seen as a destabilising actor tied to internal crises and declining credibility. For Munir, whose leadership has been marked by political interference and worsening civil-military tensions at home, the optics of US military validation shifting decisively towards India are particularly damaging.
US messaging was explicit
Ambassador Gor made the intent of the visit clear in public remarks. While welcoming Paparo to India earlier, he said, “Delighted to have @INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo in India to expand the US-India defense partnership. Now is the time to strengthen vital cooperation between our two nations.”
After the Chandimandir visit, Gor posted, “A great visit with US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Paparo and Western Command, Indian Army. Our joint efforts are key to a safe Indo-Pacific. The US-India defense partnership continues to grow stronger. Thank you for the warm welcome Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar.”
Why Western Command is central to the message
Headquartered near Chandigarh, the Western Command oversees Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Its terrain is suited for rapid armoured manoeuvre, making it the backbone of India’s conventional deterrence against Pakistan.
The command fields strike and holding corps, large artillery formations and integrated surveillance and response systems. In recent years, it has incorporated networked operations, rapid response concepts and advanced technologies into its planning, all of which were showcased during the US visit.
Opposition criticism and official response
The visit sparked political criticism at home. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned the optics, saying, “India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what the US wants India to do.” She added, “India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to know from their own Government.”
The Congress party’s Kerala unit also criticised the visit online. In one post, it stated, “Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan’s ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government’s blessings.”
Senior Indian Army officials responded by noting that while such visits are uncommon, they are not unprecedented. Military officers from partner nations regularly visit Indian formations, and diplomatic engagements with military establishments have occurred earlier as well.
How it fits into the bigger India-US defence picture
The Chandimandir visit aligns with a broader expansion of India-US defence ties under the Major Defence Partnership framework formalised in October 2025. The two countries recently held the 24th Joint Technical Group Plenary at DRDO headquarters to advance cooperation in defence science and technology.
A 10-year Defence Framework Agreement signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth outlines long-term collaboration across the Indo-Pacific.
For Pakistan’s military leadership, the message is unmistakable. Washington’s strategic comfort now lies firmly with New Delhi, and the visit to India’s Western Command brings that reality uncomfortably close to Pakistan’s own borders.
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