“If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemy nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.” (Sun Tzu – Art of War)
The 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack compelled both nuclear weapons bearers of the South Asian continent to again confront each other. India initiated its Operation Sindoor, initiating a combination of counter-value and counter-force targeting against Pakistan. In retaliation, the Armed Forces of Pakistan initiated Operation Bunyan un Marsoos to retaliate against the Indian provocation of violating Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Pakistan retaliated with Turkish drones after India employed deadly Israeli drones on Pakistan.
The Indian military used the newer and sophisticated network-centric technology with a vast web of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as Harpy drones to target deep inside Pakistan. With its sophisticated S-400 missile defense system purchased from Russia, India attempted to hold supremacy over Pakistan’s counterattack. Under its Land Warfare Doctrine (LWD-2018), the Indian armed forces attempted to dominate Pakistan through the integration of its triad forces. India also deployed its 4.5-generation Rafale fighter jets bought from France.
With India showcasing its complete military power, the Pakistani Armed Forces made incredible gestures and flipped the warfront completely against Indian claims. Pakistan employed its Chinese J-10C fighter planes, combined with improved Chinese PL-12 and PL-15 missile systems, as counterforce attacks on India. The Pakistan Air Force successfully hit and destroyed several Indian Rafale fighter planes. In the same vein, Pakistan retaliated with Turkish drones after India employed deadly Israeli drones on Pakistan.
Pakistan also destroyed an Indian S-400 missile defense system storage facility using its Al-Fatah missile. Additionally, the Chinese HQ-9 defense system, engaged by Pakistan, brought down 553 Indian drones. Pakistani armed forces, assisted by China, jammed the Indian radar systems and destroyed further Indian military assets.
This South Asian conflict turned out to be a muscle-flexing ground of great power, with India using French and Israeli technology and Pakistan using Chinese and Turkish weapons. The downing of Rafales led to a humiliating loss for India, and French military industries lost their previous position of supremacy, whereas that of Chinese military technology received a huge boost all across the globe. AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Company’s shares, the manufacturer of the J-10C, made a substantial leap. This growth can be attributed to increased investor confidence in China’s military sector based on the proven effectiveness of its exports. In contrast, the French military complex saw its stock drop by over 8% during the war.
Pakistan Air Force successfully hit and destroyed several Indian Rafale fighter planes.
Observing the aftermath of the war, Chinese authorities expressed their gratitude to the Pakistan Armed Forces for their stunning performance on the battlefield. The defense partnership between China and Pakistan is more robust after the war. China is providing around 40 units of its 5th generation J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan. This transaction would give Pakistan a strategic upper hand and superiority over the so-called Indian military power.
According to retired PAF Air Commodore Zia Ul Haq Shamsi, the induction of the J-35A fleet will give Pakistan a ’12 to 14-year’ advantage in stealth fighter capabilities over India’s current air inventory. The Chinese J-35A is the second most deadly and advanced plane, following the J-20 ‘Mighty Dragon’. In an official ceremony, Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu revealed that discussions for the acquisition of the J-35A had been completed, and the fighter jets will join the Pakistan Air Force in the near future,” indicating a shortened induction schedule.
Another most significant development is the resurgence of Pak-Russia military and defense cooperation. Russia, being India’s decades-old strategic ally, is now expanding its relationship with Pakistan. Recently, Pakistan and Russia have inked a whopping $2.6 billion deal that promises to further closer military and economic cooperation. Looking at Pakistan’s fighting capabilities, Russia has inked an agreement for Mi-35M attack helicopter acquisition. This re-emergence of Pak-Russia bilateral cooperation has rung serious bells in Indian strategic perceptions.
The post-war strategic environment in South Asia is totally turning against India, with its strategic allies, i.e., the US and France, making alarming statements against India’s humiliating defeat in the war against Pakistan. The US military industries are now not willing to make a deal with India on F-35 stealth fighter aircraft. Besides, India’s defeat made it clear that it could not resist Pakistan in a minor confrontation; how then can India become a regional hegemon holding China in check within the South Asian region? To this, Islamabad, after so long, is now able to bargain from a position of strength—not only with regard to India, but in the overall dynamics of Asian geopolitics.
China is providing around 40 units of its 5th-generation J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan.
Although war is never an option for advancement, the 2025 war has irrefutably introduced new avenues for Pakistan. In the future, Islamabad needs to solidify its relations with Beijing and Moscow through defense treaties and cooperative infrastructure development, practice smart diplomacy to challenge Indian rhetoric around the world, resist the urge of complacency, and proceed with domestic military modernization and economic reform to preserve this strategic advantage.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.
