With it showing interest in the Chinese J-31/J-35 and Turkish KAAN, the Pakistan Air Force could be embarking on its most significant induction yet.
The brief clash underscored a need for the PAF to expand the procurement pipeline across less developed areas, like drones, SAMs, EW/ESM, and ‘smart munitions’.
The U.S. unfroze $397 million USD in military aid earmarked for ensuring that Pakistan only uses its F-16 fighter jets for counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
From land to sea to airborne systems, China now underpins Islamabad’s quest for qualitative parity in South Asia’s increasingly contested security environment.
Pakistan and Türkiye reportedly discussed the possibility of jointly designing and producing a helicopter.
On 26 December 2024, China surprised the world by flying not one, but two, new fighter prototypes embodying its vision for next-generation air systems, the Chengdu J-36 and the Shenyang J-XX/J-50.
The FAAZ-series are two beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) programs being developed by Pakistan’s state-owned enterprises (SOE), likely Air Weapons Complex (AWC), a bureau of the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM).
The Al-Battaar is a laser-guided bomb (LGB) kit developed by Pakistan’s Qaswa Industries for use on Mk.80-series general purpose bombs (GPB).
The AZB Range Extension Kit (REK) converts Mk.82, Mk.83, and Mk.83 general purpose bombs (or ‘dumb bombs’) into precision-guided bombs (PGB).
First revealed by Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS) in May 2024, the ‘Burq’ is a family of lightweight air-to-ground missiles (AGM) meant for use from drones, namely GIDS’ Shahpar 2 and Shahpar-3 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).