Cash-strapped Pakistan’s jet, missile display exposes reliance on China, Turkey as India boosts defences | India News - Hindustan Times

**Pakistan’s Jet and Missile Display Highlights Growing Dependence on China and Turkey Amid Indian Defence Buildup**

*Islamabad –* In a televised military exhibition on 8 September, the Pakistan Air Force rolled out a mixed fleet of aging Chinese‑origin fighter jets alongside newly acquired surface‑to‑air missile systems, underscoring the country’s strained finances and its deepening reliance on external partners. The show featured a pair of JF‑17 Block III aircraft, a platform jointly developed with China, and a conspicuous launch of a medium‑range missile that analysts identified as a possible variant of China’s HQ‑17AE air‑defence system. While Pakistan has not officially confirmed the acquisition, the display aligns with Bloomberg reports that Beijing has been quietly supplying advanced missile technology to its South Asian ally.

The exhibition also hinted at growing ties with Turkey, as the Pakistani military showcased a squadron of Bayraktar TB‑2 combat drones—an export success for Ankara that has been embraced by several Muslim‑majority nations. In addition, local media cited the South China Morning Post’s observation that the HQ‑17AE could be integrated with Pakistan’s future drone‑defence architecture, bolstering its capacity to counter high‑altitude threats. A separate claim by *The Times of India* that Pakistan has procured the supersonic Brahmos cruise missile was later disputed, with the missile’s developers in India and Russia confirming no export to Islamabad, suggesting a degree of misinformation surrounding Pakistan’s armament narrative.

Meanwhile, India has accelerated its own defence modernization, allocating an unprecedented ₹4.2 trillion (≈ US$55 billion) to the armed forces for the fiscal year and securing high‑profile deals for Rafale fighters, S‑400 air‑defence systems, and indigenous hypersonic missiles. The contrasting trajectories—Pakistan’s reliance on Chinese and Turkish hardware versus India’s diversified, high‑budget procurement—highlight a widening capability gap that could shape the sub‑continent’s security calculus in the coming years. Observers caution that while Pakistan’s displays aim to project strength, its fiscal constraints may limit the operational readiness of the showcased systems, whereas India’s expanded budget is set to translate into tangible force enhancement across the army, navy and air force.