China to sell drones to Pakistan, after India's S-400 deal
On the back of India sealing a deal with Russia for the acquisition of sophisticated S-400 missile defence systems, Chinese state media has announced that Beijing is selling 48 high-end military drones to its "all-weather ally" Pakistan. If the two countries confirm the deal, it would be China's biggest deal for drones till date. Here are the details.
The deal was announced by Pakistan Air Force on Sunday
As reported by Chinese publication The Global Times, the deal for 48 high-end Wing Loong II drones was announced by Pakistan Air Force's Sherdils Aerobatic Team on its official Facebook account on Sunday. However, several details are unclear, including when the deal was struck, how much it is going to cost Pakistan, and when the drones will be delivered by China.
What we do know about the deal
Yet, certain details are known. The Pakistan Air Force announced that in future, the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company will jointly manufacture the drones. Currently, Pakistan and China jointly manufacture the JF-Thunder, a multi-role, single-engine combat aircraft. Notably, China is the largest supplier of weapons systems to the Pakistani Army.
A bit about the Wing Loong II drones
For those unaware, the Wing Loong II drones, manufactured by China's Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company, are high-end reconnaissance, strike, and multi-role high endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Wing Loong II made its first maiden flight in December last year, and within 10 months of its maiden flight, multiple live firing tests were conducted as per requests of customers, who were not named then.
Seems like Pakistan is trying to even the odds
Prima facie, the deal looks like an effort by the Pakistani Army to even the odds with India, whose aerial defence capabilities have received a large boost thanks to its acquisition of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems. The missile systems, purchased for border security, can target aircraft, UAVs, and cruise missiles within a range of 400 km and an altitude of 30 km.
