According to a report from "defencesecurityasia" on July 4, the Pakistani government had previously announced on social platforms that China had proposed to provide it with high-end weapon systems such as KJ-500, J-35A, and HQ-19.

Although the defense minister later denied the claim that an agreement for the procurement of J-35 had been signed, he did not deny the existence of negotiations regarding the KJ-500.

Therefore, the report believes that the KJ-500 early warning aircraft is highly likely to appear in the Pakistan Air Force in the future.

From the Indian side's reaction, the potential deployment of the KJ-500 has already been enough to cause strategic anxiety. There are even Indian generals who have lamented, "We can never go back."

KJ-500

KJ-500 is one of the most mature airborne early warning and command platforms deployed by China in recent years. It adopts a fixed three-sided AESA radar, which has a 360-degree full-area scanning capability. Compared to traditional rotating radars, it has significant advantages in terms of detection range, stability, and response time.

According to open-source information, the KJ-500 can stably detect fighter jet targets within a range of 470 kilometers, has a loitering time of 12 hours, and a range of nearly 5,700 kilometers. Combined with an advanced command and communication system, it has the capability to conduct air-based node command and real-time battlefield management during wartime.

For Pakistan, this platform precisely fills the weak links in its early warning and command system. Especially after the new generation of fighters such as J-10CE and JF-17 Block III gradually form the main force, the Pakistan Air Force urgently needs a more advanced airborne brain to coordinate and dispatch combat resources.

In a deeper sense, the KJ-500 also represents the output of China's air force operational concepts, namely a highly networked and integrated front-line operation model, connecting sensors, command centers, and strike platforms into a whole, thereby suppressing opponents with an advantage in the kill chain.

J-35

If the KJ-500 eventually serves in the Pakistan Air Force, its strategic impact will far exceed the significance of a single aircraft.

With the mass deployment of the JF-17 Block III, the addition of the J-10CE, and the maturation of the China-Pakistan joint R&D system, the Pakistan Air Force has gradually entered an era of networked operations, diverse platforms, and intelligent command.

The addition of the KJ-500 is not the first time the Pakistan side has possessed early warning capabilities, but rather the first time that early warning and command have truly become the core of its operational chain, possessing all-weather, multi-aircraft formation, and long-range strike command capabilities.

This means that Pakistan can not only detect earlier and make decisions faster, but also seize the initiative in the rhythm before the battle even begins.

In contrast, although the Indian Air Force still has heavy platforms such as the Rafale and Su-30MKI on the surface, the accumulated problems in modern system warfare are gradually emerging. Previously, there was a gap in system capabilities, and now it is the entire system being overtaken.

Indian Prime Minister Modi

That is why the report states, "As one Indian Air Force general said, 'Our skies will never be the same again.'"

This sentiment reflects anxiety over the reversal of the current aerial combat situation.

Pakistan Air Force's progress is systematic, because it has a good teacher, and all key nodes are following China's lead and rapidly iterating.

The addition of the KJ-500 will only accelerate the watershed between the Indian and Pakistani air forces.

Therefore, what truly makes India uncomfortable is not a single KJ-500 early warning aircraft, but rather the symbolic turning point that this aircraft will push the aerial combat situation in South Asia to change.

For India, when the Rafale aircraft arrived, they thought they had become "invincible." Not to mention fighting against China, but just dealing with Pakistan should be easy. However, a single air battle directly crushed them.

In the future, India will face not just a situation where they might not be able to beat the Pakistan Air Force, but increasingly unable to do so.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523488040892662272/

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