As Indian drones, bombs and missile strikes wreaked havoc in Pakistan from May 7 to May 10, under the Operation Sindoor, this not only exposed Pakistan’s fragile air defence system but also showed the poor efficacy of Chinese fighter jets deployed by Pakistan for securing its borders.
As widely reported, Pakistan remains heavily dependent on Chinese defence imports, accounting for nearly 82 per cent of its total defence imports. As India struck deep inside Pakistan, in response to its escalation bid, the operation served as a real-world test for Chinese military technology and also went to show the gross underperformance of its aircraft as well as the failure to prevent air attacks.
The failure and underperformance of Chinese systems, as reported widely, not only impacted Pakistan's military effectiveness but also China's reputation as a global arms exporter. Below are the details of how Chinese-powered jets and defence systems failed miserably:
Air Defense Systems (HQ-9, HQ-16/LY-80):
Chinese-made HQ-9 air defence systems were deployed by the Pakistan Army to intercept Indian aircraft or missiles during the conflict, but the Indian forces successfully bypassed and jammed Pakistani air defence systems, including the ones deployed near critical military installations.
The ineffectiveness of HQ-9 and other Chinese air defence units has raised questions about their detection and response capabilities, especially against advanced Indian and Western systems. Though there was no official word from either side but many Chinese social media handles attributed the HQ-9's failure to inadequate training and operational inefficiencies on the Pakistani side, giving credence to the report that the Chinese air defence system was effectively breached by India’s niche weapons.
Air-to-Air Missiles (PL-15):
Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missiles were touted as a rival to Western counterparts like the American AIM-120D, but they failed to reach any intended targets. The Indian military officials also collected fragments of a recovered PL-15 missile in Hoshiarpur, which had landed without hitting anything.
Fighter Jets (J-10C, JF-17):
Despite Pakistan deploying Chinese-made J-10C and JF-17 Block III fighter jets, equipped with PL-15 missiles, they were unable to significantly impede or deter Indian airstrikes. While the two nations engaged in an intense military warfare, Pakistan initiated a propaganda war by claiming that it shot down multiple Indian jets, including Rafales. All these claims remain unsubstantiated till date, as no debris of any Indian aircraft has been presented by Pakistan.