New Delhi : Pakistan has acquired a large number of unmanned combat air systems, loitering munitions, kamikaze drones, anti-drone systems, long-range missiles, tanks, attack helicopters, main battle tanks, hovercrafts, corvettes and submarines from its key allies China and Turkiye, after India destroyed nine terror camps, radar sites and damaged 11 air bases during Operation Sindoor, according to people briefed on an assessment by Indian intelligence.
The acquisition, running into billions of dollars, is largely from China and Turkiye, even though Pakistan professes to be a key ally of US President Donald Trump and has articulated its intent to fight Hamas in Gaza. While Pakistan totally relies on all-weather ally China for its heavy weaponry and hardware, it has sought to cosy up to the US with private crypto deals and port projects. But unlike other US major non-NATO defence allies, Islamabad does not get penalized by Washington for arms purchases from US adversaries.
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Citing intelligence inputs and assessment, the people mentioned in the first instance said Pakistan’s defence acquisition has accelerated post-Op.Sindoor with Rawalpindi GHQ purchasing 31 unmanned combat air systems (UCAVS) including one High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Akinci from Turkiye and 30 HALE Caihong CH-4 and CH-5 (modelled on the US Predator MQ-9B drone) from China. All 31 UCAVs, which have a claimed operational range of above 6,000km, are capable of firing air-to-air missiles and have laser-guided bombs and a flight ceiling over eight kilometres.
To be sure, while Pakistan is adding muscle to its armed forces, India has moved to the next level by adding teeth to its three services in the form of 200km range air-to-air missiles, long-range loitering ammunition, 280 more long-range (120 pieces) and short-range (160 pieces) missiles for S-400 air defence systems, 150-130km range rockets, conventional ballistic and cruise missiles, ship-based extended-range surface-to-air missiles and will soon introduce 800km range BrahMos missiles, which created havoc in Pakistan during Op Sindoor.
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While the national security establishment has informed the top echelons of Indian military leadership about Pakistan’s hardware acquisitions, armed forces under Field Marshal Asim Munir have purchased 1,014 loitering ammunition or kamikaze drones with range in excess of 200km. These include 350 YIHA and 17 Kargi from Turkiye, 274 DA II and IV and 126 Oscar-I from China. Pakistan has also purchased in excess of 1,700 kamikaze drones of less than 50km range, again from Turkiye and China. These include DJI Mavic-II Enterprise, Mavic 350, DJI Matrice 300 RTK, RT 400 from China, and Skydagger, Asusguard Songar and Kargu guided flying bombs from Turkiye.
According to the intelligence assessment, Pakistan has purchased 787 counter unmanned air systems. This includes 763 systems with soft (jamming) kill options and 24 hard (shooting) kill options.
After India dominated the Pakistani skies on May 9-10 during Op. Sindoor, Islamabad has added two batteries of 160km range Chinese HQ 16 FE surface to air missiles and purchased 27 Chinese ship-based 40km range surface to air missiles LY 80 N for protection of its Chinese made frigates.
On the heavy weaponry front, Pakistan has added another battery (100 rockets) of Fatah-1 terminally guided rocket and 192 supersonic land attack 290 km range HD-1 missiles, manufactured in China. Rawalpindi has acquired another regiment of Chinese third generation VT-4 main battle tanks with 7,356 rounds of armour piercing ammunition apart from 12,000 rounds for SH-15 Howitzer.
It has also placed an order for 31 Z-10 ME AH attack helicopters from China with one already delivered and the rest to follow.
Pakistan has also focused on its navy, with the acquisition of three British 2400 TD hovercraft, four Turkiye made MILGEM missile firing corvettes with one already delivered pre-Sindoor.
The Pakistan Navy is acquiring eight Yuan class diesel attack submarines from China. Apart from renaming it Hangor, the entire SSK submarine is shipped in semi knocked down condition.
