Report: Pakistan’s Air Defence Systems

Previous to the Seventies, the PAF largely relied on ground-controlled interception (GCI). That is the place it used surveillance radars (such because the British Kind 21 and American FPS-20) to coordinate fighter plane to intercept air threats. Whereas it additionally used anti-air weapons (AAG), fighter interceptors have been the PAF’s main technique of neutralizing intruding enemy plane.

Nevertheless, the PAF was conscious of the rising adoption of SAMs which, by the Seventies, pushed the PAF management to review a extra strong air defence technique. This led to the creation of Pakistan Air Defence Command in 1975 and, shortly thereafter in 1976, the launch of ‘Challenge Crystal’, an organized program for constructing an built-in GBADS.

Below Challenge Crystal, the PAF acquired 45 Cellular Pulse-Doppler Radars (MPDR) from the German firm Siemens (since acquired/absorbed by Hensoldt), six management and reporting facilities (CRC), and 6 AN/TPS-43 air surveillance radars from the US. 

In tandem, the PAF paired its new radars with quite a few SAM programs, particularly the Thales Crotale sequence and, for a short time frame, the Chinese language HQ-2, which was based mostly on the Russian SA-2.

Whereas a big step ahead, the PAF’s air defence surroundings largely centered on short-range air defence programs (SHORAD). It appeared that the PAF largely used SAMs for defending services, like its air bases, not territorial defence. The latter would nonetheless be managed by fighter plane. 

Throughout this era, each the PA and PN additionally started investing in SAMs. The PA had fully centered on man-portable air defence programs (MANPADS), probably as a method to cope with low-flying plane, similar to helicopters, focusing on its infantry, armour, and artillery. Within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties, the PA used a variety of MANPADS, together with the American FIM-92 Stinger, French Mistral, and Saab RBS-70.

Apparently, the PN’s air defence program had taken off fairly sharply within the Nineteen Eighties when it leased 4 Brooke-class frigates from the US. The Brooke-class frigate got here outfitted with the RIM-66 Customary-I SAM, a medium-range system able to offering area-wide anti-air protection. 

Nevertheless, when the PN returned these frigates to the U.S., it was not capable of exchange the RIM-66 with the same or comparable system. As an alternative, the PN acquired second-hand Kind-21 frigates from the UK and, in flip, outfitted half of them with the LY-60 short-range SAM from China. In impact, the PN’s anti-air warfare (AAW) functionality regressed from area-wide protection by way of the RIM-66 to principally point-defence. The PN lastly managed to interchange the RIM-66 by way of the LY-80-equipped Tughril-class or Kind-054A/P multi-mission frigate it acquired from China from 2022. 

Pakistan’s restricted air defence capabilities probably stemmed from two principal elements. 

First, every service arm was centered on constructing its core offensive capabilities by means of main platforms, similar to fight plane and submarines. The PAF, for instance, needed to interchange early Chilly Conflict-era fighters, such because the Chengdu F-7 (i.e., Chinese language-built MiG-21) and Dassault Mirage III/5 with multirole platforms loaded with modern expertise. The centerpiece of this initiative was the JF-17, which probably took up the majority of the PAF’s assets within the Nineties and 2000s. 

Second, Pakistan merely lacked choices for efficient medium-to-long-range SAMs. America and Russia have been unwilling to offer options, and European objects have been typically too costly. Thus, it isn’t in any respect shocking that Pakistan’s greatest investments in air defence coincided with China and Turkiye rising as adept options suppliers for radar and SAM expertise.

On this backdrop, Pakistan had to make use of its restricted assets the place it understood it might get the best impression, therefore the funding in main platforms, like multirole fighters, submarines, tanks, and artillery. There was probably a way that working trendy platforms in giant numbers (particularly within the backdrop of nuclear weapons) would assist deter India.