The Kargil War, fought between May and July 1999, was a significant conflict between India and Pakistan in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region. In India, this conflict was known as Operation Vijay, while the Indian Air Force's joint operation with the Army was called Operation Safed Sagar.

The war began with the infiltration of Pakistani troops, disguised as Kashmiri militants, into strategic positions on the Indian side of the LoC. Initially, Pakistan attributed the conflict to Kashmiri insurgents, but evidence and later admissions by Pakistan's leadership revealed the involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces, led by General Ashraf Rashid. The Indian Army, supported by the Air Force, recaptured most of the positions on their side of the LoC. International diplomatic pressure eventually led to a withdrawal of Pakistani forces from the remaining Indian positions.

The Kargil War is notable as a recent instance of high-altitude warfare in mountainous terrain, presenting significant logistical challenges. It also stands out as one of the few instances of conventional warfare between nuclear-armed states, following India's first nuclear test in 1974 and Pakistan's first known tests in 1998, shortly after a second series of tests by India.