In what could be analysed as an aftereffect of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has levelled up its air defence capabilities around crucial air bases by combining Sino-Turkish assets.
India's BrahMos missiles caused considerable damage to the runways at Sargodha and Rahim Yar Khan, and four Pakistani hangars housing fighter aircraft, AEW&C, and UCAVs were targeted successfully by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Now, reports have claimed that the Pak military has decided to combine Turkish ŞAHİN counter-drone weapons and KORKUT anti-aircraft guns alongside Chinese HQ-17AE missiles to better safeguard its air force assets. China's NORINCO LD-76 mobile anti-aircraft and counter-fire system could also be included in the setup, international media reports said.
THE WEEK had earlier reported that the HQ-17AE can engage faster and larger threats from a distance, while KORKUT can take out those projectiles that manage to get past the missiles at a range of up to four kilometres.
FULL REPORT | Pakistan gets ASELSAN KORKUT air defence guns from Turkiye to fight drones
The ŞAHİN systems complete the multi-tiered air defence mechanism by ensuring a final defensive capability around critical installations and bases.
Having KORKUT guns means Pakistan no longer needs to fire its precious interceptor missiles to neutralise the threats posed by cheap suicide drones. Drone swarms can lead to sensor overload and quick depletion of interceptors without costing the enemy substantially. The presence of radar- and electro-optical tracking-equipped systems like the ASELSAN KORKUT is thus a major level-up for the Pakistani military.
It was in 2022 that Aselsan's ŞAHİN counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) system entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces. The manufacturers had released videos showing that the remote-controlled ŞAHİN has an effective range of 700 m against mini and micro UAVs.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) revealed the combination in footage released in September, but details regarding operational deployment locations and procurement remain under wraps, the reports added.
