Swift Retort: How Pakistan Adapted in the Last Six Years Plus

Following its skirmish with India in February 2019, the Pakistani military, particularly the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), initiated a major modernization drive. The brief clash – which saw the PAF implement its own retaliatory strike via Operation Swift Retort – underscored a need to expand the procurement pipeline across previously less developed areas, notably in terms of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), surface-to-air missiles (SAM), electronic warfare and electronic support measures (EW/ESM), and ‘smart munitions’.

Over the past six years, the PAF pursued a procurement strategy involving new multirole combat aircraft, medium-to-long-range SAMs, precision-guided munitions (PGM), EW and ESM systems, medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) and high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) drones, and loitering munitions.

Collectively, these new acquisitions set the groundwork for an evolved offensive strike strategy that aims to engage a larger assortment of targets, reach targets further into enemy territory, and, not least, be as prepared as possible for a comparable, if not more extensive, adversary response.

Since 2019, Pakistan has transformed this approach by acquiring and deploying the HQ-9BE long-range SAM system.

The HQ-9BE provides Pakistan with a strategic air defence capability with a reported range of 260 km and the ability to engage tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), cruise missiles, and aircraft. Its deployment represents a quantum leap in Pakistan’s ability to deny airspace to adversaries.