The 2019 Balakot Air strikes were a rude awakening for Pakistan as it underscored that the nuclear weapons will not save it from small punitive strikes from India and also highlighted its vulnerable air defense.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has since undertaken a 10-year modernization plan to build a dedicated offensive wing and improve its airlift capability despite its dire economic condition.
As its relations with the US are at an all-time low, Pakistan has inducted 50-year-old Belgian C-130s in its fleet. The induction comes as Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has pledged to punish Pakistan after PAF airstrikes on the civilian population.
A robust military airlift capability is critical for swift and strategic operational success. Military airlifters help armed forces to transport personnel, equipment, and supplies by air. This crucial aspect of military logistics enables rapid deployment and sustainment of forces across various operational theaters.
The PAF operates a fleet of 16 C-130s and it has been actively seeking additional aircraft to strengthen its tactical transport capabilities. As its defense supply from the US dried up, Pakistan turned to induct six Belgian C-130s, which were retired after 52 years of service. The last three of these C-130s have arrived in Pakistan via Ankara, Turkey.
The Belgian Air Component decommissioned its C-130H Hercules fleet in 2021 and replaced them with Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft.
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The medium size aircraft C-130 Hercules are used for tactical airlift operations as they are versatile and can deliver troops and equipment to the front lines serviced by unpaved runways.
The former Belgian airlifters will be in addition to the PAF’s 5 C-130B and 9 to 11 C-130E. The PAF upgraded its C-130B and C-130E between 2014 and 2017. It remains to be seen if these Hercules from Belgium will be upgraded using Rockwell Avionics Flight 2.
This acquisition comes as the US has expressed concern about the long-range missile development program of Pakistan as it can hit American territory. It has also slapped sanctions against Pakistan entities involved in the project.
PAF set its goals in 2020 that included replacing legacy platforms, taking a holistic approach to area denial, enhancing tactical and strategic situational awareness, incorporating drones into the air attack element, expanding airlift and logistics capabilities, revising the advanced air training regimen, and building dedicated offensive wings.
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The PAF is phasing out older aircraft like F-7Ps and Mirage IIIs and replacing them with a mix of Chinese J-10 CE and JF-17C fighters. The Hongdu L-15B is a leading candidate for a new lead-in fighter trainer role.
The centerpiece of the acquisitions is the Chinese FC-31 Gyrfalcon (formerly known as J-31). The PAF pilots have already begun training on the fighter jet and the news is that Islamabad is buying 40 of these fighter jets. The Chinese jet, also known as the J-35, strongly resembles the American F-35. Its acquisition will give PAF an edge over its arch nemesis, the Indian Air Force, for over a decade.
To work on holistic area denial, the PAF is investing in medium-to-long-range surface-to-air missiles like the HQ-9BE and HQ-16FE. To augment its situation awareness, the PAF inducted Saab 2000 Erieye aircraft. The last of these ‘eyes in the sky’ were delivered to Pakistan in 2024, and they are located at Minhas Air Base.
With this transfer, the PAF now has nine aircraft of this type. The IAF, which operates three Russian IL-76 ‘Phalcon’ AWACS and two Embraer Netra early warning aircraft, is already outnumbered by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which also operates the Chinese ZDK03 Karakoram Eagle AWACS.
Armed with deep penetration and long-range radars, AWACS controls the battle theatre in times of hostilities by looking into the enemy territory and providing advance information about the movement of the enemy’s air assets.
The SAAB Erieye AEW&C aircraft were used during the Pakistan counter-strike on February 27, 2019, to target an Indian brigade headquarters and other installations in Nowshera. Incidentally, India had registered a diplomatic protest over the sale of Swedish aircraft to Pakistan.
These aircraft were used in Operation Swift Retort on February 27 to direct and control 25 fighter jets toward targets in India. These aircraft provided PAF with a real-time view of the battlefield and the location of the IAF’s assets.
The PAF is also expanding its drone fleet. Turkish Bayraktar Akinci has added more punch to PAF’s capabilities. The force is also focused on MUM-T (Man Unmanned Teaming).
Reports suggest that the Loyal wingman is envisaged to be a 2-4-ton loyal wingman UCAV, which would be capable of deploying air-to-air missiles and small air-to-surface munitions. It could accompany the Next Generation Fighter Aircraft and help mitigate losses by being the primary decoy and attack option in high-risk environments.
