Sinification of Pakistan’s Military: Kargil War to Balakot Air Strikes

Sinification of Pakistan’s Military: Kargil War to Balakot Air Strikes

Fri, 07/12/2019 - 09:05
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By Kota Mallikarjuna Gupta

Military Commerce and its prospects increase with the escalation of military tensions and conflicts with the rapid increase in demand for advanced weapons. Tensions between India-Pakistan relations with unresolved border dispute and regional geopolitics in the 21st century created business opportunities for global military industrial powers. South Asian countries like India and Pakistan are importers of military weapons for their security requirements in this region.

In the last two decades, Pakistan has emerged as the most favored destination for Chinese military exports. China-Pakistan military transfers are comprehensive, which includes joint development of main battle tanks and fighter planes. Pakistan’s military imports during 1999-2018 are estimated at the $ 16,316 million. Pakistan’s military imports during 1999-2018 from China and the United States listed in below table.

Year

China’s military sales to Pakistan

(in million USD)

U.S military sales to Pakistan

(in million USD)

 Pakistan’s military imports (in million USD)

 

1999

73

8

878

2000

69

11

186

2001

299

15

423

2002

286

44

563

2003

267

24

650

2004

77

74

477

2005

78

171

443

2006

98

109

360

2007

144

395

692

2008

250

303

1071

2009

758

146

1186

2010

747

1027

2199

2011

578

269

1108

2012

583

276

993

2013

719

137

1075

2014

413

201

770

2015

620

107

849

2016

751

15

864

2017

559

21

752

2018

448

12

777

 

7817 (Total)

3365 (Total)

16316 (Total)

(Source: SIPRI Arms Exports Database, 2019)

China and the United States contributed less than 10 percent of Pakistan’s military imports in the year 1999. However, Pakistan’s military imports from China and the United States have increased in the post-Kargil war period. China emerged as the primary source of Pakistan’s military requirements for three years during 2001-03. China-Pakistan military transfers witnessed a sudden increase in the backdrop of 1998 nuclear explosions, 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2001-02 military stand-off between India-Pakistan relations. There were global events like 9/11 Terror attacks and internal factors like a military coup and Pakistan’s participation in “War against Terror” in Afghanistan have influenced Pakistan’s military decision making to develop strong military ties with China, involving military transfers. However, there is a decline in China’s military exports to Pakistan during 2004-08. India and Pakistan have resumed their bilateral dialogue process “Composite Dialogue” in 2004. Pakistan’s military imports from the USA also increased with reduction of Chinese military imports during 2004-08.

China emerged as the most favored destination for Pakistan to import advanced weapons for its security requirements from 2008. However, American military exports witnessed a steep decline from 2011. In the same year, USA marine forces killed Al-Qaeda Chief, Osama Bin Laden during a mid-night operation in Pakistan.

 U.S military exports to Pakistan worth $1027 million in 2010 were the largest in the last two decades. American military supplies in 2010 are nearly one-third of its total exports to Pakistan during 1999-2018. However, China emerged as the dominant player to supply military weapons to Pakistan in the last decade.

China has supplied military weapons worth $6176 million to Pakistan out of its total military imports worth $10573 million during 2009-2018. Pakistan imported a wide range of military weapons like fighter aircraft, missiles, engines, sensors, and naval ships. The below table provides specific costs of various military weapons imported by Pakistan during 1999-2018.

Military Imports of Pakistan (1999-2018)

Value of Imports ( in million USD)

Aircraft

6757

Air Defence Systems

530

Armoured

2324

Artillery

354

Engines

778

Missiles

2070

Naval Weapons

5

Sensors

977

Ships

2522

Total Value of Imports

16316

(Source: SIPRI Arms Exports Database, 2019)

The transfer/ commerce of military technologies faces multiple hurdles like cost overruns, political transitions, economic and technological challenges. Chinese military exports to Pakistan did face all these challenges.

Pakistan started the production of Haft-4 missiles (750 km range) in 1999, based on Chinese M-9 missile. In the same year, India and Pakistan had fought a military war at Kargil situated in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan Army had 30 Haft -3 missiles (600 km range) in service, based on M-11 Chinese missile in the year 2000. China has cleared the sale of optical tracking systems to Pakistan, which is used for nuclear missiles with multiple warheads in March 2018.

The joint project to develop the Main Battle Tank (MBT) between China and Pakistan has a history of nearly three decades. However, Pakistan started the pre-production of 15 Al-Khaled (MBT) in 2001. The cooperation between Heavy Industries, Taxila in Pakistan and China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) of China has resulted in the development and production of Al-Khaled Tanks. According to Military Balance 2019 estimates, Pakistan has 300 Al-Khalid and 50 Al-Khaled-I tanks. The production and up gradation of Al-Khaled MBTs is a priority for Pakistan military recently.

The bilateral military technology transfer is comprehensive and extends to joint development of fighter planes and naval ships. The initial plans to jointly develop and produce fighter planes begin in 1990’s itself. In April 2005, JF-Thunder multirole fighter aircraft jointly developed and launched with China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industries. Pakistan received two JF-Thunder planes, manufactured in China. Both countries announced serial production of JF-17 fighter planes with an order of 42 planes,  manufactured at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in March 2009. Both the countries also established a joint marketing organization to promote sales of JF-17 Thunder for other countries. The long term credit facility extended to Pakistan for this joint-program of JF-17 Thunder from China. A total of four squadrons of JF-17 Thunder are in service, according to the estimates of Military Balance 2019, published by the International Institute of Strategic Studies.

China signed an agreement with Pakistan for a joint project to build four F22P frigates (Zulfiqar Class)/ Jiangwei II (Type 4 053 M3) for Pakistan Navy in 2005. This project also includes a supply of six ship-based medium sized Z-9C Helicopters.  Three of the total four frigates were made at Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard, China and supplied to Pakistan Navy.  One frigate ship was built at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW) and launched in 2013. This deal is estimated to be around 750 million USA $. Pakistan Navy also has three Azmat class fast attack missile boats in service and built as part of an agreement between Xinggag Shipyard, China and KS &EW. According to Military Balance-2018, Pakistan is in the process to acquire Eight S20 (Yuan-Class) Submarines. CSIC (Wuchang Ship Building Ind. Co) and KS& EW are the two institutions in both countries, which are involved with the Submarine deal for Pakistan Navy.

Pakistan dependence on China for modern military technologies/weapons systems will continue in the long term. The military relations between China and Pakistan have developed comprehensively with the development and production of fighter planes like JF 17 Thunder and Al-Khaled main battle tanks. Pakistan’s Economic condition determines military imports from China and other countries. The foreign exchange crisis and increasing debt is a concern for Pakistan’s military establishment to finance their military modernization plans. The close cooperation and coordination between military industrial production facilities between both the countries resulted in production and induction of four squadrons of JF-17 in just one decade. Military tensions between India and Pakistan has influenced Pakistan’s military shopping list. This trend is expected to continue after Balakot Air Strikes conducted by Indian Air Force in February 2019.

India must revamp its military equipment manufacturing mechanisms quickly to face its complex security challenges. Indian defence manufacturing capabilities must be enhanced quickly to produce advanced weapon systems across all platforms. Indigenous development of military technologies and quick transfer of foreign military technology and enhancing the domestic production capacities are essential to address regional security challenges of India.

*Author is a PhD scholar at JNU, New Delhi.