[Source/Observer Network, Liu Chenghui] When the J-10C shot down Western aircraft in South Asia, the impact of China's weapon's sharp edge on the world has just begun. Foreign media have recently focused densely on the excellent performance of Chinese weapons on the Indo-Pakistani battlefield.
"After nearly thirty years since the first flight of the J-10, it has finally experienced the baptism of war and passed the test," The Financial Times lamented in a long article published on May 9. The "Chinese Dragon" showed its sharp teeth and claws in the Indo-Pakistani conflict, marking the first clash between Chinese military equipment and top Western equipment. This not only demonstrates the technological progress of China's military industry but will also have far-reaching impacts on the global arms industry.
Meanwhile, Nikkei Asian Review cited scholars' analysis, pointing out that Chinese weapons were previously considered lacking in combat testing, but this conflict proved their own value, being able to rival Western technology. It not only enhances the credibility of Chinese weapons but strengthens China's strategic position.
"The results are astonishing; Western opponents are eagerly awaiting technical analysis of the J-10," The Financial Times article noted. Even before the fog of war began to clear, stocks of Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the manufacturer of the J-10 "Dragon", had already begun to soar. After nearly thirty years since the first flight of the J-10, it has finally undergone the baptism of war and passed the test.
"There is no better advertisement than real combat," said Yun Sun, a China military expert at the Stimson Center in Washington. "This is an unexpected bonus for China... The results are astonishing."
The Indo-Pakistani conflict has entered one of its most intense phases in decades, making this confrontation a testing ground for key equipment competition between China and the US-Western countries. Estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and the International Institute for Strategic Studies suggest that 81% of Pakistan's military equipment comes from China, accounting for more than half of its over 400 fighter jets and attack aircraft.
Pakistan Air Force J-10CE fighter jet - Social Media
Andrew Small, an expert on Sino-Pakistani relations at the German Marshall Fund, said this reflects the "all-weather friendship" that China has established with Pakistan since the 1960s. Small mentioned that apart from cooperation in nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, much of the equipment provided by China in the past was not highly technical, but now, Pakistan is becoming a showcase platform for China's cutting-edge weapons.
On the other hand, along with economic growth and regional ambitions, India has become the world's largest arms importer. The Financial Times reported that over the past decade, India's arms procurement has shifted from dependence on Russia to reliance on the US, France, and Israel (accounting for nearly half of recent purchases), including advanced fighter jets, transport planes, and combat/reconnaissance drones.
"This battle has the most important global significance as it is the first time Chinese military equipment has directly confronted top-tier Western equipment," said Shuant Singh, a lecturer in South Asian studies at Yale University. The outcome of this confrontation will foreshadow the direction of the Taiwan Strait situation and point the way for Western arms manufacturers to respond to China's low-cost and high-tech capabilities.
The article argues that even small-scale conflicts like those frequently occurring between India and Pakistan have unique value. The opposing sides probe each other, showcasing their capabilities, attempting to reinforce existing red lines and set new ones. These conflicts also generate massive combat data, influencing the trajectory of future small-scale conflicts and potentially determining who will win the next war. Allies share this data, and weapon manufacturers analyze it to adjust their weapon systems.
A Western military attaché based in New Delhi believes that Western country military attaches are "anxiously" waiting for India to share radar and electronic signals of the J-10C in combat mode so they can train their own air defense systems.
Similarly, for China, this small-scale conflict is not only a test of the aircraft but also a test of the airborne active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system.实战 not only tests the radar's ability to detect threats but also its ability to guide missiles.
A Pakistani military official said that the missiles used in the conflict included modified versions of PL-15. He believed that the hour-long engagement at dawn on the 7th would be "written into textbooks."
"We taught those guys a lesson," he proudly said.
Previously, Reuters reported on the 8th that the aerial engagement between Pakistan’s Chinese-made fighters and India’s French-made fighters is being closely watched by military forces around the world. They are trying to gain intelligence from it to accumulate advantages for potential future conflicts.
The report quoted Western analysts and defense industry insiders, stating that for military forces worldwide, this aerial conflict is a rare opportunity to study the performance of pilots, fighter jets, and air-to-air missiles in actual combat. They can use this information to optimize air force deployment strategies. The practical performance of advanced weapons that may be deployed in future great power conflicts will also be seriously scrutinized.
Robert Travers, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London, pointed out that the use of PL-15E missiles by the Pakistani military is significant. Travers said that if the relevant claims prove true, people have already witnessed the practical application of China's AESA in long-range missiles.
Although Western countries and Russia have been conducting practical tests of their own AESA technologies for decades, Travers said that the details of this small-scale conflict between India and Pakistan, such as how many missiles were fired to successfully hit the target, are extremely valuable for China to evaluate the capability of this weapon.
"Rivaling the West,实战 proves the value of Chinese weapons"
The Financial Times reported that in the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Indo-Pakistani air battle, Indian armed forces exposed vulnerabilities in their lack of airborne warning and control systems.
In comparison to Pakistan's streamlined and efficient procurement system, India's bureaucratic system has made it extremely inefficient in learning lessons. It wasn't until March this year that India issued a "necessary recognition" notice, planning to increase the number of AWACS to 18, but actual deployment will still take several years.
"If this tit-for-tat aerial retaliation continues for a longer period, India will strongly feel the pain brought by the lack of AWACS," another Western military attaché based in New Delhi said. If it is ultimately confirmed that an Indian "Rafale" was shot down by a Chinese missile launched over 100 kilometers away, it would further prove the urgency of India's need for AWACS.
On the same day that The Financial Times article was published, The Nikkei Asian Review also turned its attention to the Indo-Pakistani air battle: what kind of weapon was urgently dispatched by Pakistan to prevent Indian aircraft from intruding? The answer is China-made J-10C.
This report by the Japanese media cited Kamal Chima, executive director of the Islamabad-based think tank Strategic Insights, saying that the recent combat performance of the J-10C played a crucial role in defending Pakistan's airspace. "Pakistan believes that China's military technology is rapidly developing and has shown an advantage over European systems. It is reportedly even acknowledged by French intelligence agencies, especially in downing aircraft."
Muhammad Shuaib, a postdoctoral researcher at George Mason University, said that comparing Chinese and Western technologies is not a new topic, but Chinese weapons previously lacked combat testing. However, the conflict on May 7 proved their own value, indicating that if applied properly, Chinese technology can rival Western technology.
Chima analyzed that due to India's diplomatic obstruction, Pakistan cannot currently obtain advanced military technology from the West. "This situation has led to a strategic dependence of Pakistan on China in terms of military supplies."
Shuaib reviewed history, pointing out that previously when Pakistan opposed India, Chinese weapons were often not the first choice. But now the J-10C has become the core equipment of the Pakistani air force, "showcasing growing confidence in the performance and reliability of Chinese equipment."
"(China's) military technology is engaging in real scenario confrontations with regional competitors like India, which not only enhances the credibility of Chinese weapons but also strengthens China's psychological and strategic position," Chima said.
This article is an exclusive contribution by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7503207898491650598/
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