Recovery of Pakistan artillery points to close Chinese, Turkish links
Recent skirmishes revealed Pakistan's reliance on Chinese and Turkish military technology. The Pakistan Air Force deployed Chinese PL-15 missiles, which failed to hit targets, and Turkish Bayraktar Akinci drones were neutralized. Evidence suggests...
New Delhi: The failed attempts by the Pakistan Air Force on Indian targets and recovery of artillery have revealed close Chinese and Turkish links, according to officials. At the forefront of Pakistan's recent aerial aggression was the PL-15 air-to-air missiles that were deployed by Pakistan Air Force but failed to hit their intended targets, officials said.
During a press briefing on Monday, DG Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti, presented visual evidence of the missile remnants during a joint military press briefing. "You can see the pieces of it on the screen," he said, showcasing the debris of the PL-15 that fell inside Indian territory, including a relatively intact rear section recovered from Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Read More: Operation Sindoor is now India’s policy against terror: PM Modi's stern warning to Pakistan & more; catch speech highlights Similarly, long-range rockets, loiter munitions and Turkish-origin Bayraktar Akinci Yiha drones were neutralised. The Indian armed forces further showcased the visual evidence of quadcopters being shot down by Indian Air Force. According to leaked documents from the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation, Pakistan recently acquired PL-15 missiles with a significantly reduced operational range of approximately 145 km - less than half the estimated 300 km range of the indigenous PL-15 model.
As per reports, the Pakistan Air Force received its initial batch of Bayraktar Akinci drones from Turkey in April 2023. Earlier reports have suggested Chinese-made J-10 and J-17 fighters received significant damages during the India-Pakistan conflict. The Chinese apps and satellite phones purchased by the Pakistan Army in the past have been found active in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Jammu and Kashmir.
After the Pahalgam attack on April 22, Pakistan in retaliation to India's action against terrorist camps targeted 26 locations on Friday, using Chinese SH-15 artillery, Turkish drones and Fatah-2 missiles, along with F-16 and JF-17 aircraft, as per an official estimate.
A day later, Pakistan fired Fateh-1 missile targeting a Gurudwara in a civilian-populated area of J&K. Another missile was intercepted by the Indian defence system over Haryana's Sirsa on Saturday. The official maintained "Fateh-1 missile has proven to be a complete disaster. It has failed multiple times - crashing, veering off course, or simply failing to launch."
