ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) said this week it has bolstered its war fighting capabilities by acquiring new technology including hypersonic missiles, weapons that are capable of traveling at hypersonic speed defined as between 5 and 25 times the speed of sound or about 1 to 5 miles per second.
A number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Pakistan’s ally China and archrival India, are caught up in the global hypersonic and directed-energy weapons race, with these regional powers having either developed or publicly stated intentions to develop such technology.
“Pakistan Air Force has undertaken a transformative modernization initiative to counter evolving threats in the current geostrategic threat scenario, prioritizing the induction of modern systems through smart acquisitions and indigenization,” PAF said in a statement this week.
“The acquisition of J-10C fighter jets, Unmanned Aerial Systems, modern electronic warfare platforms, force multipliers, state-of-the-art integrated air defense systems, air mobility platforms, High to medium air defense [HIMAD] and hypersonic missile capabilities at an unprecedented pace has bolstered the PAF’s war fighting capabilities.
PAF said it had adopted a “comprehensive strategy” to rebalance the power dynamics in the region and become a next generation force “with induction of niche technologies, state-of-the-art equipment and human resource trained on modern standards with contemporary architecture for Full Spectrum Cross Domain Multi Arena warfare readiness in the fields of Aviation, Space, Cyber, Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology to address the modern aerial warfare challenges.”
A key milestone in this strategic transformation has been the acquisition of fifth generation stealth fighter jets, PAF added.
According to Defense News, a website and newspaper focusing on national security and published by Sightline Media Group, Pakistan’s main supplier of military equipment, China, unveiled its air-launched YJ-21E hypersonic missile at the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow. However, a H-6K Badger bomber carried the weapon, an aircraft type not in service with Pakistan.
Timothy Wright, a military analyst the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, told Defense News Pakistan’s hypersonic missile was likely not a new weapon but a CM-400AKG, which the country acquired five years ago for its JF-17 Thunder jets. The service’s release included a video featuring the CM-400AKG missile.
“According to the missile’s manufacturer [Aviation Industry Corporation of China], the CM-400AKG can travel at hypersonic [Mach 5-plus] speeds,” he told Defense News. “However, there has not been an independent assessment of this claim.”
“It is possible the missile is instead a high-supersonic system” reaching speeds between Mach 3 and Mach 4.9, he added.
Pakistan’s Air Force says it has hypersonic-capable missiles
https://arab.news/g3xma
Pakistan’s Air Force says it has hypersonic-capable missiles
- Hypersonic missiles are capable of traveling at hypersonic speed, defined as between 5 and 25 times the speed of sound
- A number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China and India, are caught up in global hypersonic weapons race
Pakistan weighs Trump Gaza board amid expert calls for Muslim allies’ consultations
- Former diplomats warn board could sideline UN, legitimize US unilateral plans
- Analysts say Pakistan should assert independent positions if it joins the body
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is weighing an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join a proposed international “Board of Peace” on Gaza, a move that has sparked debate among former diplomats and foreign policy experts who warned Tuesday it could sideline the United Nations and urge Islamabad to consult close Muslim allies.
The White House announced on Friday some members of the board, which is expected to supervise the temporary governance of Gaza under a fragile ceasefire in place since October and continue beyond that transitional phase.
These names included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump himself would chair the board, according to a plan unveiled by the White House in October.
Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed on Sunday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also received an invitation to join the proposed body, stressing that “the country will remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza, leading to a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions.”
“Since the Trump ‘Board of Peace’ is more like an international NGO now, which would include [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi and [Israel’s Benjamin] Netanyahu, Pakistan should carefully take a decision in consultation with its close Muslim allies like Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Indonesia, and it should be a joint decision of these countries together,” Former federal minister and analyst Mushahid Hussain told Arab News.
“Otherwise, there is no point in being in the queue just to please Trump,” he added.
Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have agreed that a Palestinian technocratic administration would operate under the oversight of an international board during a transitional period.
Hussain said that if Pakistan did decide to join the board, it should use the platform to clearly articulate its long-held positions.
“Pakistan should play the role of boldly promoting the right of self-determination of the peoples of Palestine and Kashmir, both occupied territories, and oppose any aggression against Iran, as peace and occupation or aggression cannot coexist,” he said.
International affairs analyst and author Naseem Zehra said Pakistan’s participation could still be justified if it allowed Islamabad to assert independent positions on global conflicts.
“Donald Trump has invited 60 heads of states and prime ministers to become part of the peace board, which is more like an alternative to the United Nations,” she said, referring to media reports about the board’s mandate. “If Pakistan is invited among 60 countries, it is acceptable for Pakistan to participate, and with a seat at the table, Pakistan can share its own view of how global issues can be resolved.”
Zehra added that Pakistan’s past diplomatic conduct showed it could maintain principled positions while engaging internationally.
Former ambassador to the United States Maleeh Lodhi took a stronger view, warning that the initiative appeared designed to bypass established international mechanisms.
“Pakistan should not join the Board for many reasons,” she said. “Its aim is for President Trump to get international support and legitimacy for his unilateral plans not just in Gaza but beyond, without member states having any real power.”
“It is being set up to supplant the UN in its primary role of maintaining international peace and security, with Trump effectively calling all the shots,” she added.
When contacted, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declined to comment and referred queries to the foreign office.
However, the foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi did not respond to Arab News requests for comment by the time of filing.
Pakistan has consistently supported Palestinian statehood under United Nations resolutions and has publicly criticized Israeli military operations in Gaza, while also opposing broader regional escalations, including attacks on Iran.
