International Professor Harsh V. Pant said the deal will push India toward acquiring the F-35 while accelerating its advanced medium fighter program to develop and field a stealth fighter by 2032. He said it would put more pressure on the government to move. Association of King’s College London Indian Institute.
The FC-31 Gyrfalcon is also known as J-31 or J-35. This is because the fighter jet has not yet been given an official designation by Beijing, reflecting that it has not been officially ordered.
‘The line has been drawn’: Pakistan and India look to allies as arms race looms
‘The line has been drawn’: Pakistan and India look to allies as arms race looms
The Gyrfalcon prototype, still under development by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, is widely expected to be adopted by the Chinese Navy, nicknamed the J-35, within the next five years and deployed to its growing aircraft carrier fleet. There is.
Air Force Commander Barber referred to the plane as the “J-31,” likely a reference to the land-based version of the plane that China is aggressively marketing to foreign governments that lack access to advanced Western military technology for political reasons. It seems to indicate the name.
China has decided not to sell its active fifth-generation J-20 “Mighty Dragon” fighter jet overseas.
01:32
India flaunts military power with grand Republic Day parade in New Delhi
India flaunts military power with grand Republic Day parade in New Delhi
Since the 1960s, India has fought several conflicts with both China and Pakistan over more than 6,800 kilometers of disputed border.
All three countries possess formidable nuclear weapons, and South Asia could become the epicenter of a future world war.
If Pakistan deploys a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Indian Air Force (IAF) currently has no equivalent fighter jet, which would give it “a certain tactical advantage, especially in air-to-air combat,” a senior official said. Chief of Staff Frank O’Donnell said. Research advisor for the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, a Seoul-based think tank.
Pakistan’s close military ties with China mean that Pakistan can “acquire and deploy advanced aircraft at a much faster rate than India’s more cumbersome bureaucratic processes.”
O’Donnell said India needs to overcome long-standing challenges such as declining squadron strength and repeated delays in acquiring domestic and foreign fighter jets to keep pace with its unfriendly neighbour.
Despite receiving 36 Rafale 4.5-generation fighters from France’s Dassault Aviation in the past two years, the IAF’s modernization has not kept pace with the aging of its existing fleet, which currently has around 30-32 O’Donnell, who is also a non-resident fellow in the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, said the squadron is expected to have a strength of 42 soldiers.
India is expected to soon announce the acquisition of 26 more Rafale aircraft for deployment on aircraft carriers.
O’Donnell said that “progress on this front requires India’s political involvement” to streamline the defense acquisition process and remove bureaucratic hurdles that “haven’t been sufficiently clear to date.”
The shortfall in the number of fighter jets that India considers necessary to counter the dual threats posed by China and its close ally Pakistan is approximately 200 aircraft, and the IAF estimates that this difference will be narrowed by the mid-2030s. They say it could be halved.
In response to India’s Rafale acquisition, Pakistan has ordered 25 Chengdu J-10C “Vigoras Dragon” aircraft in 2022, the last batch of which was officially inducted at a ceremony by PAF chief Barber on January 2.
“Ever since India broke away from its traditional foreign policy of non-alignment, it has received financial and military support as a counterweight to China in Asia,” said Haider of the Pakistan-China Institute.
“We see that this axis between China and Pakistan to protect security interests and sovereignty and resist Indian hegemony is becoming increasingly concrete and effective.”
02:21
Pakistan’s interior minister blames India after two suicide bombings kill dozens
Pakistan’s interior minister blames India after two suicide bombings kill dozens
However, India does not appear to be overly wary of Pakistan’s future acquisition of the Chinese stealth fighter, as the FC-31 is still under development.
“It’s important to remember that the FC-31 is still in the development stage,” said Pant, of King’s College London. “It’s late and this [deal] It may help China more than Pakistan in the long run. ”
Pakistan is seeking state-of-the-art Chinese fighter jets to replace its 75 aging U.S. F-16 jets, as it “recognizes that our long-term relationship with the United States is a challenge.” Pant said he had no choice but to ask. He heads the strategic research program at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank.
O’Donnell said the United States would likely be “hardly surprised” by Pakistan’s plans to acquire the J-31, as it follows a “large-scale introduction into Pakistan” of Chinese military equipment.
Pakistan begins $3.5 billion Chinese-designed nuclear project
Pakistan begins $3.5 billion Chinese-designed nuclear project
Pakistan and China have so far jointly produced about 150 JF-17 “Thunder” light fighters to replace the PAF’s aging French Mirage aircraft. The latest Mk III version of the JF-17 has the features of his 4.5 generation.
Pakistan has also purchased China’s Type 054 guided missile frigate and Type 041 diesel-electric submarine, the latter of which is “widely expected to form part of Pakistan’s future naval nuclear force,” O’Donnell said. Ta.
He added that the US would view the J-31 agreement “if it materializes – as another indicator of the strengthening and long-term nature of the China-Pakistan military relationship.”