Pakistan and India, long-time adversaries, are once again on the brink of military confrontation after New Delhi threatened retaliation over a Kashmir attack it wrongly blamed on Islamabad. Amid escalating tensions, reports suggest China urgently supplied Pakistan with PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles for its JF-17 fighter jets.
The missiles were reportedly delivered in response to the heightened military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
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A social media page, STRATCOM Bureau, shared images showing a Pakistani JF-17 jet equipped with an advanced PL-15 missile for the first time. It claimed the missiles came directly from China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) stocks, implying Pakistan received high-end versions typically reserved for China’s own military, rather than the downgraded PL-15E export models.
While no official confirmations have been made by China or Pakistan, the reports suggest strengthening Sino-Pakistani defense ties and highlight Beijing’s readiness to support Islamabad during periods of rising regional tensions.
With a range exceeding 200 kilometers, the PL-15 provides Pakistan with a substantial boost in its ability to engage Indian aircraft from longer distances, potentially shifting the regional military balance.
The PL-15 is among the most advanced air-to-air missiles globally, outperforming many Western counterparts like the U.S. AIM-120D AMRAAM and the European MBDA Meteor, giving Pakistan’s JF-17 jets a notable advantage in air combat.
India, meanwhile, has been deepening defense cooperation with the United States and other Western powers, but now faces a more capable Pakistani air force, enhanced by Chinese technology.
Although official sources have not yet verified these reports, the situation aligns with China’s broader strategy of arming regional partners with state-of-the-art military systems, challenging traditional suppliers like the U.S. and Russia.
If confirmed, the delivery of PL-15 missiles could significantly impact the military rivalry between India and Pakistan, keeping South Asia’s security situation highly unstable and the threat of further conflict looming.
