Op Sindoor exposed pattern of failures, underperformance by Chinese weapons systems: Report

Operation Sindoor not only marked a decisive military and strategic victory for India but also exposed critical vulnerabilities within Pakistan's armed forces, particularly those stemming from their heavy reliance on Chinese-supplied military hardware.

With nearly 82% of Pakistan's defence imports originating from China, the conflict provided a real-world test for Chinese technology against a combination of Indian and Western platforms.

During the operation, Indian forces successfully targeted and neutralised key Pakistani military and terror infrastructure, often overcoming or bypassing Chinese-origin air defense systems such as the HQ-9, which failed to intercept Indian missile strikes, including those delivered by the BrahMos missile.

Reports indicate that other Chinese systems-ranging from PL-15 air-to-air missiles to J-10C fighter jets and naval frigates-also underperformed or malfunctioned, leaving Pakistani defenses compromised and unable to deter or effectively respond to India’s offensive.

These operational failures have had repercussions beyond the immediate battlefield.

The inability of Chinese weapons to deliver under combat conditions has damaged China's reputation as a global arms exporter, reinforcing longstanding concerns about the quality and reliability of its military equipment.

Analysts note that such failures validate earlier skepticism about Chinese systems and are likely to accelerate the decline in China’s arms exports, which had already been shrinking due to quality issues.

The credibility gap exposed by Operation Sindoor provides a strategic opening for other arms manufacturers including India, who can now emphasise their own reliability and combat-proven performance.

Key observations and incidents of failure
Air Defense systems (HQ-9, HQ-16/LY-80)

• Numerous reports indicate the complete failure of Pakistan's Chinese-made HQ-9 air defense system to effectively intercept Indian aircraft or missiles during the conflict.
• Indian forces successfully bypassed and jammed Pakistani air defense systems, including those deployed near critical military installations.
• The ineffectiveness of the HQ-9 and other Chinese air defense units has raised questions about their detection and response capabilities, especially against advanced Indian and Western systems.
• Chinese nationals reportedly voiced criticism on social media, attributing the HQ-9's failure to inadequate training and operational inefficiencies on the Pakistani side.

Air-to-air missiles (PL-15)

• The Chinese-made PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, touted as a rival to Western counterparts like the American AIM-120D, reportedly failed to hit intended targets or malfunctioned mid-flight.
• Indian military officials displayed fragments of a recovered PL-15 missile in Hoshiarpur, which had landed without hitting anything, further discrediting claims of its effectiveness.
• While some initial reports from pro-Chinese media attempted to claim PL-15 successes, these claims lacked verifiable proof and were largely considered propaganda.

CM-400AKG air-to-surface missile

• The CM-400AKG is a Chinese air-to-surface missile, often marketed as a "carrier killer," designed for high-speed, precision strikes against ground and naval targets.
• It was detected early by Netra and AWACS. Despite its speed, it lacks stealth features and has limited terminal maneuverability. Susceptible to spoofing and jamming.

Fighter jets (J-10C, JF-17)

• Despite Pakistan deploying Chinese-made J-10C and JF-17 Block III fighter jets, equipped with PL-15 missiles, they were unable to significantly impede or deter Indian airstrikes.
• Claims by Pakistani and Chinese propaganda of J-10C aircraft shooting down multiple Indian jets, including Rafales, remain unsubstantiated and unverified by independent sources. No debris of Indian aircraft has been presented by Pakistan.
• The overall performance of these Chinese jets in actual combat against Indian aircraft (a mix of Russian and Western platforms) was deemed ineffective by many analysts.

Radar systems

• An Indian Air Force strike reportedly destroyed a Chinese-supplied YLC-8E anti-stealth radar located at the Chunian Air Base in central Punjab, further highlighting vulnerabilities in China's air defense offerings to Pakistan.

AR-1 guided missile (Deployed via Wing Loong-II Drones)

• Overview: The AR-1 is a Chinese laser-guided air-to-surface missile, typically deployed from unmanned aerial vehicles like the Wing Loong-II drone.
• Deployment in Pakistan: Pakistan utilized Wing Loong-II drones armed with AR-1 missiles for precision strikes.
• Performance during Operation Sindoor: Indian air defense systems successfully intercepted or neutralized AR-1 missiles before they could reach their targets.
• Analysis: The failure of AR-1 missiles to penetrate Indian defenses highlights deficiencies in their effectiveness against well-established air defense networks.

Chinese-origin drones

• Overview: Pakistan employed various Chinese-origin drones for reconnaissance and offensive operations during the conflict.
• Performance During Operation Sindoor: Indian forces intercepted and neutralized multiple Chinese-origin drones, with wreckage displayed during official briefings.
• Analysis: The inability of these drones to evade Indian air defenses raises concerns about their stealth capabilities and overall effectiveness in contested airspace.

Overall reliability and quality concerns

• The conflict has exposed fundamental vulnerabilities in the reliability and combat effectiveness of Chinese military technology , despite China's aggressive push to position itself as a credible alternative to Western and Russian arms suppliers.
• Reports indicate that Chinese-supplied equipment often suffers from defective critical components, poor quality control, and inadequate after-sales service.
• Previous instances of malfunctioning and defective military equipment sold by China to various countries (e.g., faulty frigates for Pakistan Navy, issues with fighter jets for Nigeria and Myanmar) underscore a recurring problem with the quality of Chinese defense exports.