DESPARDES — Pakistan Air Force has reportedly installed a Chinese-made radar system for air threat posed by stealth jets including recently acquired Rafale by India, its eastern neighbor, which brazenly downgraded the autonomous status of occupied Kashmir on August 5 amid international outcry.
The two neighbors have a long-standing dispute on the Himalayan Valley pending resolution according to the UN Security Council Resolutions of 1948 which calls for plebiscite in the Muslim-majority region.
Both countries became independent in August 1947 after the British pulled out of the sub-continent post WWII.
Since then, the two neighbors have fought 4 wars, majorly on Kashmir– a festering issue on international roundtable and an unfinished agenda of the sub-continent’s partition.
Pakistan seeks ‘enduring stability’ in the region after President Donald Trump announced in July his administration wants to partner for durable peace in South Asia.
Back in February this year, the two countries had almost gone to war after India crossed the Line of Control– one of its fighters were shot down and the pilot captured–later released by PM Khan’s newly-installed government as peace gesture.
Since then, and post August 5th annexation of occupied Kashmir by India, the Himalayan Valley remains a hot spot amid silence and suspense, observers say.
According to nuclear expert Dr. S, M. Ali, Kashmir is ground zero of the new world order– the pristine valley, also dubbed a nuclear flashpoint is most affected by Climate Change in the region — nearly 5600 glaciers are melting, said Prince William during his trip with Kate Middleton to Pakistan last month.
The clampdown and communication blackout imposed by Modi’s government in August entered 110th day today with disturbing news of human rights abuses trickling out in social media and fringe news outlets.
A Pakistani defense expert earlier told DesPardes, “we are moving toward pre-WWII situation”.
Modi’s government has gone ahead with inking a deal for Russian-made S-400 missile defense system for deployment on Pak-India border as early as 2020 despite opposition from the U.S., its defense and strategic partner in the region ‘to counter China’.
The fast-tracking of the deal worth $5 billion comes amid reports of long-term slowdown in India’s economy (NYT calls it ‘mistrust economy) and Moody’s downgrading of the country’s rating to ‘negative’ from ‘stable’.
Militarily though, in the chill between the two neighbors, Modi is clearly disadvantaged, recently wrote Christophe Jaffrelot, a Senior Research Fellow at the CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS.
Pakistan’s deployment of radar system to detect stealth intrusions comes as a defensive move amid its soft U-turn to normalcy after decades of fighting against terrorism.
Its battle-hardened military and civilian government are on same page with respect to peace, diversity, openness and inclusiveness– hallmark of the 60s and 70s
The deployment comes amid reports of the Indian Air Force (IAF) having received its first of the 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. Jane’s 360 published an open-source satellite imagery that revealed the presence of a high-tech radar system.
The report says the anti-stealth system is the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation’s (CETC) JY-27A – at the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) M. M. Alam airbase in Mianwali.
The imagery examination indicates the radar arrived between Jun 5 and Aug 29, according to Jane’s.
The JY-27A radar has the ability to detect low-observable (LO) or ‘stealth’ aircraft, including the French Dassault Rafale jets, at long-range.
In addition, the JY-27A is resistant to jamming and also provides situational awareness of incoming ballistic missiles.
