China Hypersonic Missiles: In another major setback for Pakistan’s military ambitions after the drubbing it received at the hands of Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor, China, its ‘all-weather ally’ and largest weapons’ supplier, has reported turned down Islamabad’s request for the supply of Chinese-made hypersonic missiles, and transfer of technology for indigenous manufacturing of the same.
Why China turned down Pakistan’s request for hypersonic missiles?
According to media reports, China fears that Pakistan could allow Western experts to examine Chinese-made advanced missile systems, amid the Islamabad’s recent bonhomie with the West, especially the United States. Another reason is the concern over the poor performance of Chinese-supplied weaponry by Pakistan in the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
Citing sources, defense website Indian Defence Research Wing (Idrw) said that China has informed Pakistan that its has not developed export variants of its hypersonic missiles, nor are the existing ones– such as the DF-17 equipped with hypersonic warheads– cleared for export, which makes the technology off-limits, at least for the time being.
Beijing has also rejected Pakistan’s transfer of technology request for hypersonic missiles, which would have allowed Pakistan to indigenously manufacture these advanced missiles, reducing the country’s dependence on defense imports, the report said.
China’s hypersonic technology is meant for strategic deterrence
Notably, China manufactures dedicated export variants for most of its defense products, including fighter jets, air defense systems, and missiles, but has not done so yet for its advanced hypersonic missiles. Currently, China has no downgraded or export variant of its hypersonic missile systems, which aligns with Beijing’s broader policy of restricting the proliferation of its most advanced strategic weapons, especially those that could have the capability to alter regional or global power dynamics.
China is among the few nations to have developed and mastered hypersonic technology, and sees it as a critical component of its strategic deterrence, particularly against the United States and its allies. Experts believe that China refuses to export these strategic weapons, even to a close ally like Pakistan, as it could invite international scrutiny and escalate tensions with rival powers.
Its also been suggested that China’s hypersonic capabilities are still in its nascent stages, and needs more development before its ready for mass production and deployment.
Pakistan wants hypersonic tech to counter India
Meanwhile, Pakistan is rapidly expanding its weapons’ arsenal, especially its missile systems to counter India’s rapid advancement in missile technology, especially the development of indigenous hypersonic and ballistic missile systems. By acquiring Chinese hypersonic missiles, Pakistan wants to close the technological gap with India, which has developed domestic hypersonic capabilities like the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV).
According to a recent US intel report, Pakistan’s military power and economy are completely dependent on China, which is a major concern for South Asia as Beijing is likely to use any future India-Pakistan conflict as a testing ground for its weapons, such as fighter jets, air defense systems, and missiles.
Around 80 percent of Pakistan total defense imports come from China, the report said.
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