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Of Games That Some Nations Play. Military Games, That Is

Martin McCauley writes: You’ll never guess who is providing the main military muscle to Pakistan. Go on, have a guess. Is it the United States? No. Is it Britain or Russia? Certainly not. Is it India? Get real, people, India is Pakistan’s main enemy.

I will spare you all the torturous pondering: it’s good old China.

Sino-Pakistani military cooperation goes all the way back to 1966. And it got more and more sophisticated with time. Last month it was revealed that China is to deliver 36 modern J-10 jet fighters to Pakistan, at a cost of $1.4 billion, making up 70 per cent of China’s arms exports this year. It is significant that Pakistan will become the first foreign recipient of this third generation jet fighter. Islamabad has dismissed reports that the overall deal might include the purchase of 150 J-10 jet fighters, at a cost of $6 billion, but no one is taking these rebuttals seriously.

Why is Pakistan buying modern fighters from China? Because Uncle Sam has refused to sell it F-16s, an almost comparable aircraft, so as not to upset India.
For all you keen aircraft buff let me explain: the J-10 is based on the Israeli Lavi, but it is still inferior to F-16s. The US is the only country which possesses a fourth generation fighter, the F-22. China is at present developing a fourth generation fighter of its own and Pakistan would be the first to come knocking on its door, asking for the new jet. The deputy commander of the Chinese Air Force has claimed that China will have an operational fourth generation fighter in the next eight to ten years. If past experience is any guide, it will enter service sooner than that.

China and Pakistan have been working on the joint production of the JF-17 combat aircraft that they regard as having the same capabilities as the US F-16 since 1992. The first aircraft, manufactured in Pakistan, was handed over to the Pakistani Air Force in November. The Pakistanis already have ten JF-17 aircraft built in China.

Pakistan is going to export the JF-17 to countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. They are anticipating 40 orders at $25 million each. This comes to a cool $1 billion. There is even talk of exporting up to 1,500 aircraft over the next 15 years.

Sino-Pakistani military cooperation also extends to the navy. Pakistan received a $750 million soft loan to build four F-22P frigates in 2004. This has now expanded into building four frigates in Shanghai and four in Karachi. At $175 million each, the bill comes to $1.4 billion. The first Chinese built frigate was delivered to the Pakistani navy in July.

Why is China putting so much trust in Pakistan? Building the advanced aircraft and frigates involves a technology transfer. What happens if Pakistan collapses in a civil war? In such an eventuality, one can surmise that Islamabad would request military assistance from Beijing. Does Pakistan need such advanced aircraft and frigates to combat the threat posed by the Taliban and Al Qaeda? Of course not. The target country is India. New Delhi will regard the ever closer strategic partnership between Pakistan and China with growing concern. It has every right to be worried. China is gradually encircling India as it regards New Delhi as its most dangerous rival in Asia.

The Chinese dragon’s fiery breath can already been felt in India.

– End –

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