An important turning point in South Asia’s security architecture was Operation Sindoor. The Indian Armed Forces launched a series of precision strikes targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after being triggered by the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam by Pakistani terrorists. The attacks were concentrated on important Pakistani airbases, such as Noor Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Bholari, and they effectively destroyed the core of Pakistan’s air defense, including HQ-16 and HQ-9P missile systems and their supporting Chinese radar systems, according to the website India.com.
Pakistan’s air defense was seriously jeopardized in the aftermath. Several reports of Chinese Y-20 heavy military transport planes bringing fresh supplies of HQ-16 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems and support equipment to Pakistan were brought to light by open-source intelligence. Notable for its use in protecting strategic assets, the HQ-16 is built to intercept aircraft and some cruise missiles within 40 kilometers. However, the low-flying trajectory and Mach 2.8–3.0 speed of the BrahMos cruise missile, which India used in Operation Sindoor, allowed it to get past these defenses, highlighting the HQ-16’s weakness against sophisticated strike platforms.
The delivery of these new HQ-16 systems is more about restoring military confidence symbolically than it is about giving Pakistan a technological advantage. Pakistan’s ability to prevent further attacks is still in doubt because its air defense system is still ineffective and it lacks the strategic adaptability and technological countermeasures required to contest India’s air superiority.
China’s quick assistance to Pakistan, which includes both military hardware and open diplomatic support, shows a growing strategic alignment. Notwithstanding certain underlying tensions—such as security concerns about Chinese nationals in Pakistan and the country’s increasing economic reliance—China has decided to step up its assistance, giving Pakistan large loans and supporting Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty in international fora.
Notable is Beijing’s growing readiness to publicly oppose India in regional disputes, going beyond economic cooperation to actively cooperate militarily and technologically. Furthermore, in order to stabilize Pakistan’s western border and increase its overall regional influence, China actively promoted negotiations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Despite being even more crucial since Operation Sindoor, the China-Pakistan defense alliance has had little real influence on the regional power structure. The HQ-16 shipments give Pakistan’s beleaguered military a morale boost and restore some immediate capability, but they don’t significantly change the strategic equation. Pakistan’s air defense is still lagging behind, and although China’s technological contributions are a lifeline, they haven’t been able to keep up with India’s sophisticated weapons, such as the Rafale jets and BrahMos missile.
Economic relations are still strong, particularly in relation to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which places Pakistan at the center of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and increases Islamabad’s reliance on Beijing for both military and developmental support.
In reaction to Indian assertiveness, Sino-Pakistani strategic cooperation has grown stronger and more resilient, as evidenced by the recent shipment of HQ-16 systems from China to Pakistan.
However, in spite of this assistance, Pakistan’s air defense is still severely lacking, and its military, economic, and diplomatic dependence on China is stronger than ever. This episode emphasizes the limitations of imported defense technology as well as the ongoing significance of alliances in determining the security dynamics of South Asia.
