Comment by Riaz Haq on December 18, 2025 at 9:58am

Full article - Understanding the Rafale kills

https://www.key.aero/article/full-article-understanding-rafale-kills

Locking on the target
A senior PAF pilot explained how they prepare for war with India, always a real possibility. “It’s in the training,” he said. “Going to theatre, the fighter’s radar cannot see all the targets as they are too far away, but the Saab 2000 Erieye does.”

As a high value asset and undoubtedly a target for India, the Saab 2000 Erieye will keep out of harm’s way flying close to the western border, over 400km (250 miles) from India. He continued: “The operator sitting in front of his screen in the Erieye will label the enemy aircraft into the different groups and assign them to the PAF packages. This will be done in groups of three or four aircraft according to azimuth and altitude, then the operator assesses and relays [the positions] to all the aircraft, but he will still control them.

“The war picture is built through Link 17/ Skyguard, which we see on the displays in our cockpit, and the aircraft we are assigned to shoot – which we term ‘the contract’. The Air Boss and his team [in the Multi Domain Ops Room] will also be looking over the scene on a massive screen in AHQ.

“The fighter pilots have two radios in the cockpit, one to discuss the complete aerial picture and another to talk to members in your formation.

“If I am targeting their no 1 and 2, I would see them on my scope, put my cursor on them and lock my missiles onto them.

“My radar is then locked onto the target and is linking info to the missile until a certain range, when the missile switches on to its own AESA [Active Electronically Scanned Array] seeker within the PL-15’s minimum abort range [MAR].”

The MAR is the closest an engaging aircraft can get to the target and fire the missile before getting out of a fight, before the missile threat is able to run you down.

“Once your missile’s active range (in this case the PL-15) is met, you can turn back (to ensure you don’t fly inside the MAR of a Meteor -let’s say 35 miles). The missile with its AESA seeker will then lock on to target and shoot it down.”

The author was told the Rafale pilots would not have known what hit them until the PL-15Es were about three seconds out.

“Remember, if you miss your designated aircraft, it could get you. We train continuously for this. A mission of 15 minutes can regularly take up to eight hours to debrief!

“In a war theatre you can put as many aircraft as possible up. The IAF sent 72 into the AOR [Area of Responsibility] but it’s a lot for the GCIs [Ground Control Interceptors] to control!”

One of the lessons the IAF must have learnt from that night was the sheer number of aircraft they deployed in the air was too much to handle. Each IAF GCI would have to manage several aircraft in an extremely dynamic situation, particularly as aircraft were being shot down. The PAF Commander said: “We designated an IAF aircraft for every J-10 or JF-17 Block 3 with the battle space being managed much better because of the multi domain ops.”

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 5, 2026 at 4:28pm

India, Pakistan advance a diverse range of missiles
Both nations tested conventional missiles over the holiday period


https://www.army-technology.com/features/india-pakistan-advance-a-d...


Therefore, in late December 2025, Indian forces tested a number of missile capabilities including the Pralay quasi ballistic missile and Pinaka long range guided rockets. Foremost among them however was a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from Arihant Class SSBNs.
Widespread reporting suggests the service tested the K4 SLBM, which is nuclear capable and has a range of 3,500 kilometres.
Commentary from Chatham House alluded to three delays in the run up to the K4 test, which was said to be due to the increased presence of Chinese research vessels (thought to be equipped with sensors) in the northern and central Indian Ocean at the time.


A total of four Arihant Class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) are planned, two (S2 and S3) are in active service and the remaining two (S4 and S4*) are undergoing sea trials.
S2 and S3 feature four vertical launch system (VLS) tubes and can carry either 12 K-15 (750–1,500 km range) or four K-4 SLBMs. S4 and S4* have double the number of VLS tubes, meaningthey can carry either 24 K-15 or eight K-4 SLBMs.
India also seems to be developing longer range K-5 SLBMs with a range between 5,000 and 8,000 km. Such missiles will equip the upcoming S5-class SSBNs, which are scheduled to be inducted by the mid 2030s.

Of course, such a range far exceeds that of its smaller rival Pakistan. Indeed, Globato 2,500 km, supported by airborne options like Su 30MKI and Rafale. “Sea based missiles instead focus on China” he maintained.
“Due to their shorter range, the K-15 equipped SSBNs have to operate in shallow waters of the Arabian Sea, making them susceptible to detection by Pakistan Navy’s MPAs naval ships. With the K-4 and K-5 SLBMs, Indian Navy’s SSBNs can operate much farther, beyond the range of maritime patrol assets of Pakistan Navy and People’s Liberation Army Navy.
“The Indian Navy will be able to cover the entire Pakistan and most of China by deploying the K-4 equipped SSBNs in the Bay of Bengal. This area is optimal for deployment of SSBN mainly due to deep waters and proximity to Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command (Visakhapatnam).”

The most recent announcement came from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which said it tested the Taimoor Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) for the first time on 3 January 2026.
Following their ostensible success in supposedly destroying a Rafale fighter jet using Chinese-designed PL-15E missiles last year, the PAF is now looking to build their own sovereign airspace capabilities. The ALCM was built by the state controlled company, Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS).
Taimoor is a precision-strike cruise missile capable of engaging enemy land and sea targets at a range of 600 kilometres with a conventional warhead. The ALCM flies at very low altitudes, “enabling it to effectively evade hostile air and missile defence systems” the PAF said.
The weapon utilises two wings and three fins during its flight time after launch, in the same way as the Western Storm Shadow counterpart.

Likewise, Taimoor can also engage targets at sea which is necessary given the considerable Indian naval threat. However Mangure was less optimistic in conversation with this reporter, upon considering the prospective timeline for delivery.
“Even if we consider a highly optimistic four-to-five year timeline for the development and testing of the missile, the operational deployment may not happen before 2028,” he maintained.
“At that point in time, it does not seem to offer any incremental threat to the Indian Navy, which has inducted advanced frigates and destroyers equipped with Barak-8 anti-missile systems, specifically designed to intercept supersonic BrahMos class missiles” such as the CM-302, which is an export variant of Chinese YJ-12 anti-ship/land attack cruise missile.

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 8, 2026 at 10:03am

Rabia Akhtar
@Rabs_AA
The speech by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu offers a rare public articulation of how future conflicts may no longer remain confined to conventional domains. What stands out is not just the emphasis on airpower, but the integration of cyber operations, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, long-range precision capabilities, and information dominance into a single operational framework. This reflects the growing reality that future crises in South Asia will unfold simultaneously across physical, digital, cognitive, and narrative spaces.

For scholars of deterrence and strategic stability, this matters deeply.

The May 2025 crisis reinforced an important lesson: emerging and disruptive technologies are compressing decision-making timelines while amplifying uncertainty, misperception, and escalation risks between nuclear-armed rivals. Claims surrounding cyber disruption, AI-enabled surveillance, offensive drone campaigns, and network-centric warfare indicate that the character of conflict in South Asia is rapidly evolving beyond traditional understandings of deterrence.

At the same time, the speech repeatedly underscores calibrated restraint and controlled escalation. That dimension deserves equal attention. In nuclearized environments, the difference between signaling, coercion, and uncontrolled escalation can become dangerously thin. The challenge for policymakers moving forward is not simply technological adaptation, but ensuring that strategic maturity evolves alongside technological capability.

As we reflect on one year since the May 2025 crisis, the region must ask harder questions:

-How do we prevent emerging technologies from eroding crisis stability?
-How do states communicate intent in highly digitized battle environments?
-And how do we ensure that narrative warfare does not become as destabilizing as kinetic warfare itself?

The future of deterrence in South Asia may well depend on how these questions are addressed.

https://x.com/Rabs_AA/status/2052567083372958092?s=20

-------------


Vijainder K Thakur
@vkthakur
A must-read report on the PAF's affirmation that it is indeed acquiring the J-35 stealth fighter from China, along with long-range precision-guided weapons.

https://scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352829/chinese-j-35-st...

The report includes my remarks on how the PAF's acquisition of the J-35 could erode the IAF's numerical advantage by forcing it to deploy a larger number of Su-30MKI fighters in air defence roles.

China is reportedly developing long-range (1,330 km) cruise missiles compact enough to be carried internally by its J-20 and J-35 stealth fighters. When these missiles become available to the PAF, the IAF's ability to undertake another Op Sindoor-like operation could disappear.

https://x.com/vkthakur/status/2052720597265010926?s=20

--------

Ramandeep Bajwa
@Ramandeep_Bajwa
Finally, Pakistan has got a Brahmos equivalent. Fatah-3, like Brahmos, will be near impossible to intercept.
All our army and air force bases and other key installations in J&K, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat will be extremely vulnerable as air defences will have very little or no time to detect, track and engage this supersonic missile travelling at Mach 3. Pakistan unveiled it on the first anniversary of Op Sindoor, sending out a clear message that it is also ready to play the supersonic cruise missile game.
@adgpi

@IAF_MCC

https://x.com/Ramandeep_Bajwa/status/2052605927447273834?s=20

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 11, 2026 at 9:33am

China confirms it helped Pakistan’s air force during war with India last year
Engineers tell state media they offered technical support during conflict that saw an Indian-owned Rafale downed by a Chinese-made fighter

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352863/china-conf...

----------------

AI Overview
Chinese aviation engineers confirmed they provided on-site technical support to the Pakistan Air Force during hostilities with India in May 2025, according to state media reports 0.5.1. This involved supporting the operation and maintenance of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, as reported in Reddit discussions on May 8, 2026, marking a significant, direct, and public admission of involvement, say reports on X. [1, 2, 3]
Key Aspects of the Technical Support:
Active Support: Engineers from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) were present in Pakistan, ensuring the combat readiness of Chinese-made fighter jets (J-10CEs) during high-temperature conditions.
The Conflict: The support occurred during a four-day conflict with India in May 2025, which included air and missile attacks.
Significance: This confirmation marks a shift, as China previously avoided admitting direct operational involvement, which is expected to deepen concern regarding China-Pakistan military ties.
Strategic Aid: Reports indicated that Chinese specialists not only assisted with jet maintenance but also provided aid in optimizing radars for better detection of aerial activities during the conflict. [1, 2, 3, 4]
If you're interested in the implications of this, I can tell you more about:
The specific Chinese-made systems involved (like the J-10CE jets).
The broader strategic partnership between China and Pakistan.
India's reaction to this confirmation.

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 15, 2026 at 9:48am

 The Fatah-3 is Pakistan's ramjet-powered supersonic cruise missile (SSCM), revealed by ISPR in May 2026. Capable of sustained Mach 2.2–3.5 cruise, it closes the 'BrahMos gap' and represents the ARFC's first supersonic-cruising strike capability.

https://quwa.org/pakistan-defence-industry/gids/fatah-3-supersonic-...

The Fatah-3 is Pakistan’s ramjet-powered supersonic cruise missile (SSCM) – a guided missile system capable of sustained Mach 2.2–3.5 cruise designed for land-attack and anti-ship missions. In a video released on 8 May 2026, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed the Fatah-3 to be a ramjet-powered supersonic cruise missile.

The Fatah-3 is the third member of the broader Fatah missile familyand sits within the Army Rocket Force Command’s (ARFC) expanding multi-modal strike portfolio.

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 28, 2026 at 10:00am

The Caravan
@thecaravanindia
Any discussion of Pakistan that does not factor in China is incomplete. Pakistan’s military relationship with China is not a recent convenience but a long-running strategic alignment of over seven decades that now covers technology transfer, joint production, military modernisation, and political backing.

China’s emergence as a major military power has strengthened Pakistan militarily and given it resilience. Unlike earlier, Chinese support now ensures continuity in high-end capabilities and deterrence that outlasts temporary shifts in relations with the United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia, or others. When the next military crisis emerges, this foundational backing from China will weigh heavily against India, regardless of Pakistan’s standalone performance or isolation in other spheres.

Sushant Singh (
@SushantSin
) writes: https://caravanmagazine.in/security/sindoor-china-pakistan-not-stan...

https://x.com/thecaravanindia/status/2059912316926456087?s=20


----------

The Dragon in the Room: Why Pakistan is no longer a standalone threat

by Sushant Singh

https://caravanmagazine.in/security/sindoor-china-pakistan-not-stan...

The Narendra Modi government marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor with a familiar mix of self-congratulation and narrative management, saturating the domestic information space with boastful claims of unprecedented success. However, an interview broadcast by China’s state television the same day pointed to a more complex and less comfortable reality. In a striking disclosure, Zhang Heng, a senior engineer at China’s Aviation Industry Corporation, confirmed that Chinese personnel provided real-time technical support to the Pakistan Air Force during last year’s military confrontation. Zhang’s remarks were notable not only for their candour but for what they revealed about the depth of the partnership between the two countries. He described the experience as “a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” underscoring that this was not a transactional relationship but one built on dedicated operational support.

The platform at the centre of this cooperation was the J-10CE aircraft, China’s export-grade 4.5-generation fighter equipped with AESA radar and long-range PL-15 missiles, considered one of China's most advanced air-to-air weapons. Pakistan, its only foreign operator, has integrated the aircraft into a broader Chinese-origin ecosystem that includes the multirole JF-17 aircraft. The J-10CE is largely believed to have downed an Indian Rafale jet on the first night of the operation, a fact tacitly accepted by Indian officials. Indian military officials have also blamed their lack of intelligence about the actual range of PL-15 missiles for their losses in Indian airspace. India may have retaliated thereafter by hitting deeper and harder, using the BrahMos missiles, but the losses of the first night carry both operational and symbolic weight, because they challenged an existing assumption that Western-origin platforms would maintain superiority in South Asian skies.

What is more consequential, however, is what comes next. Pakistan could take delivery of an initial batch of J-35 stealth fighter jet by the end of this year, following the airing of a video by Chinese state television in early May that showed the first fully operational export version of the aircraft. If inducted on schedule, Pakistan would gain a qualitative edge in stealth capabilities that India currently lacks altogether.

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 31, 2026 at 1:24pm

Munim 🍁
@Munimusing
It was evident that Pakistani strategic planners will reach these conclusions.

“The danger is that Pakistan’s ROEs will evolve past Riposte and into deterrence-by-interdiction. Any visible IBG buildup near the border, or persistent scavenging for sub-strategic manoeuvre space under the nuclear ceiling, may trigger a counter-concentration strike before hostilities formally begin.
Unlike Russia or China, Pakistan doesn’t operate behind oceans or with redundancy. It operates with existential immediacy. It cannot afford to absorb. Its threshold is not calibrated in megatons, but in minutes.”

This was my intuition last year:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2553206/the-day-after-doctrine-russias...

https://x.com/Munimusing/status/2060755004235915434?s=20

----------

Pakistan Defence🇵🇰
@PakDefence_
Technological Evolution and Military Development Must be Governed by Ethics and Responsibility: Gen Zakria Addresses Shangri-La Dialogue

SINGAPORE: Lieutenant General Nauman Zakria has emphasised that rapid technological advancements and military modernisation must be guided by ethics, responsibility and international cooperation, warning that emerging technologies are reshaping the global security landscape and creating new risks to strategic stability.

Addressing delegates at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore, Gen Zakria said the growing integration of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber capabilities, quantum technologies and multi-domain operations was transforming military decision-making and strategic competition while introducing new vulnerabilities and risks of miscalculation.

South Asia’s Strategic Environment

Referring to South Asia, Gen Zakria said the region’s strategic stability continued to be shaped by nuclear deterrence, conventional asymmetry, enduring political tensions and unresolved disputes between Pakistan and India.

He described China as a constructive and stabilising factor that contributes to strategic balance, regional connectivity and economic cooperation.

Commenting on the May 2025 conflict between Pakistan and India, Gen Zakria said Pakistan’s response demonstrated effective multi-domain operations supported by tri-service coordination and the integrated use of cyber, electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and space-based capabilities.

According to him, the conflict reinforced the importance of escalation control and crisis communication mechanisms in maintaining regional stability.

He warned that continued militarisation and adversarial rhetoric in South Asia, combined with the absence of robust crisis management frameworks, could undermine long-term peace and security.

Call for Global Cooperation

Gen Zakria stressed that technological innovation should not be separated from ethical responsibility and strategic accountability.

He called for internationally accepted norms governing the military use of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber operations and space technologies, arguing that human oversight must remain central in decisions involving the use of force.

The senior military official also advocated confidence-building measures, transparency mechanisms and technical dialogue among states to reduce misunderstandings and prevent destabilising arms races.

He further urged countries to strengthen direct communication channels, saying dialogue must continue even during periods of geopolitical rivalry.

“Strategic stability is preserved not only through deterrence, but through communication as well,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Gen Zakria underscored the need for stronger international cooperation on cyber governance, responsible AI development, space security and digital ethics.

He said peace and stability have never been automatic outcomes of technological progress, but rather depend on political responsibility, strategic restraint and sustained international engagement.

https://x.com/PakDefence_/status/2060739719034450366?s=20

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 31, 2026 at 4:49pm

@Blue ist911


Rocket Force Commander Lt Gen Nauman Zakria has officially checkmated India's military doctrines. By launching a highly survivable conventional strike command entirely separate from nuclear assets, #Pakistan has blocked #India's decades old rocket divisions. This force ensures total dominance in long-range warfare, making India's plans a stillborn baby. The warning is clear Pakistan's military is fully ready to unleash a full core conventional attack to completely crush India the moment red lines are crossed.




https://x.com/bluemist911/status/2061180080924377181?s=61&t=mgT...

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 4, 2026 at 2:37pm

TRT World
@trtworld
Pakistan says two river projects by arch-rival India would "weaponise" water and violate a major treaty between the neighbouring nations, warning of a response if the projects move ahead

https://x.com/trtworld/status/2062513450161488345?s=20

--------------

Pakistan says India is 'weaponising water' after treaty suspension
Pakistan says India has not consulted Islamabad on two new river projects announced after New Delhi suspended the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty last year, which governs the use of waterways relied on by hundreds of millions.

https://www.trtworld.com/article/72581ee962a6

Pakistan said on Thursday two river projects by arch-rival India would "weaponise" water and violate a major treaty between the neighbouring nations, threatening a response if they move ahead.
India, which has announced the two initiatives separately this year, insists it is within its rights to press ahead with projects on the waters it controls, even though rivers flowing through both countries would be impacted.
Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told journalists that New Delhi had not consulted Islamabad on the two Chenab River projects that he said would undermine the Indus Waters Treaty.
"These projects confirm that India seems to weaponise water," he said. "This carries dangerous implications not only for Pakistan's economy but also for regional stability and international peace and security."
India announced last year it was suspending the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty that governs the use of waterways relied on by hundreds of millions, in the lead-up to armed conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Andrabi, however, said the treaty still binds both governments.
Pakistan has previously said it would consider any attempt to change the flow of cross-border waterways an "act of war" and said there was no mechanism for either country to unilaterally withdraw from the 1960 pact that had survived three armed hostilities.
In May, India's government-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation issued a tender notice for a proposed tunnel project that would transfer water from the Chenab River to the Beas basin.
India's power ministry said in January it was undertaking "sediment removal" at Salal Power Station on the Chenab River "following the termination of the Indus Waters Treaty".
Andrabi said that "any illegal measure to endanger Pakistan's water, food and economic security as well as the survival and well-being of its 250 million people is unacceptable."
"Pakistan will retain all options necessary for safeguarding rights under the treaty and to protect its vital national interest," he said, without elaborating on a course of action.
Water risks becoming a flashpoint in a region grappling with climate change and population growth, which are stretching resources in the agricultural sectors that form the backbone of both countries' economies, experts say.
India's foreign ministry rejected a May 15 decision by what it termed the "illegally constituted so-called Court of Arbitration" — the Hague-based body used to resolve disputes between India and Pakistan related to the treaty.
Pakistan said the decision supported its stance that the treaty remained in effect, which New Delhi denied.
"India's decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance remains in force," New Delhi's foreign ministry said.
The water treaty provided a rare avenue of diplomatic engagement between the rival sides until India suspended its involvement following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April 2025.
New Delhi, without providing any evidence, blamed Islamabad for backing the attack, which Islamabad denies.
The two countries engaged in intense drone, missile and artillery exchanges the following month, which left nearly 70 people dead on both sides.

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 9, 2026 at 4:26pm

Pakistan Adds Turkish Gazap Thermobaric Weapon to F-16 Arsenal

https://thedefensepost.com/2026/06/09/pakistan-turkey-gazap-f16/

Pakistan has added Turkey’s Gazap thermobaric weapon to its military inventory, expanding its air-delivered strike capability with a system designed for high-blast and wide-area effects.

The weapon will be integrated with Pakistan’s F-16 fleet, according to a report by The Times of Islamabad.

It is described as a system that generates intense overpressure and heat by using atmospheric oxygen during detonation.

First unveiled by Turkey in 2025, the Gazap is intended for use against fortified positions, underground facilities, and hardened defensive structures, where conventional munitions may have limited effectiveness.

Thermobaric systems also sustain blast effects longer than standard high-explosive weapons, making them particularly impactful in enclosed or complex terrain.

Turkey, Pakistan Expand Defense Cooperation
Defense cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan has continued to deepen in recent years.

In January, Turkey said it was in talks to join a defense alliance established by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025.

Earlier, in September 2023, Turkey delivered the first of four Babur-class corvettes to the Pakistan Navy.

Looking ahead, the two countries are also collaborating on the National Combat Aircraft MMU program, being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, with entry into service expected around 2030.

Comment

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 6
• 7
• 8
• Next ›
• Page