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Author:?Dr. Gholam Mujtaba,
MS, MD, Ed.D.?Chairman, Pakistan Policy Institute USA?Cabinet-Level Advisor to President Donald J. Trump
Abstract
The global discourse surrounding the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict has seen a disproportionate attribution of Pakistan’s military success to Chinese technology, undermining the competence, professionalism, and strategic independence of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). This paper asserts that Pakistan’s own investments in defense aeronautics, particularly the development and deployment of the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, and its wartime cyber-electronic strategies played the decisive role in defeating Indian aggression. Furthermore, it dismantles the propagandist narrative crediting China and exposes the limitations of Chinese geopolitical commitment, especially in the context of the Indus Waters Treaty. It also highlights President Donald Trump’s statesmanship in brokering a ceasefire that averted nuclear escalation.
1. Introduction
The May 2025 conflict between India and Pakistan witnessed one of the most aggressive aerial engagements in South Asia since the 1971 war. As the situation escalated, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) once again demonstrated its historic agility and tactical superiority by neutralizing Indian air assaults and achieving air dominance. The narrative that China’s technology, rather than Pakistan’s operational brilliance and military resilience, was the primary reason for this success is both misleading and strategically dangerous.
2. The JF-17 Thunder: A Pakistani Victory Platform
The JF-17 Thunder was born out of a joint venture between Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC). However, the operationalization, deployment, maintenance, and export of the aircraft have been predominantly led by Pakistan.
•Pakistan contributed approximately 50% of the initial $150 million development cost.
•Pakistan signed a contract for 42 aircraft worth $800 million and plans to expand this to over 250 units, costing between $3 billion and $ 5 billion.
•The Block III variant, costing around $32 million per unit, incorporates Pakistan-led avionics, radar, and weapon integration.
•Pakistan manages final assembly and avionics integration, implying a greater technical and financial stake (Crew Daily, DefenceTalk).
3. The Role of Cyber and Electronic Warfare (May 8 Operations)
On May 8, 2025, the tide of battle shifted with a precision cyber-electronic warfare assault, widely believed to be aided by Turkish-supplied instruments, disabling Indian radar and communication systems. This gave Pakistan decisive control over contested airspace.?Although not officially confirmed, sources in strategic defense media have noted the suspected role of Turkish Koral or similar jamming systems in neutralizing India’s much-hyped Rafale jets, turning the battlefield in favor of Pakistan.
4. The Chinese Myth and Strategic Non-Commitment
Media outlets sympathetic to China’s defense exports have inflated China’s role in Pakistan’s aerial victories to promote Beijing’s weapons market, but facts suggest otherwise:
•China did not support Pakistan diplomatically or militarily during the water crisis, despite controlling the source of the Indus waters in Tibet.
•China could have leveraged the Indus Waters Treaty to pressure India but chose to remain neutral.
•China contributed only 42% of the JF-17 platform, limited to structural components and select avionics.
•Pakistan spearheaded marketing efforts and export negotiations with Myanmar, Nigeria, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan (The Diplomat, ThePrint).
This reveals a pattern where China benefited economically and politically, while Pakistan bore the strategic and military risk alone.
5. U.S. Diplomacy and President Trump’s Ceasefire Initiative
As the conflict edged toward nuclear escalation, President Donald J. Trump took center stage in global diplomacy:
•He brokered a complete ceasefire on May 12, 2025, halting land, air, and sea hostilities.
•Trump leveraged trade relations with both countries to compel peace.
•He also extended an offer to mediate the Kashmir dispute, which India rebuffed (The Times of India, Indian Express, Sky News).
•His decisive intervention highlights the crucial role of U.S. global leadership in maintaining South Asian stability.
6. Export Performance and Revenue Share
The myth of Chinese dominance in the JF-17 program is also debunked through export data:
•Pakistan leads exports of JF-17s to Myanmar, Nigeria, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.
•Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) holds 58% of the production share, managing avionics, assembly, and systems integration.
•China’s CAC receives revenue primarily from component sales and licensing fees (MP-IDSA, Defence Security Asia).
Pakistan’s marketing acumen and military credibility have helped create a globally recognized fighter platform, independent of Chinese sales machinery.
7. Conclusion
The narrative crediting Chinese technology for Pakistan’s May 2025 air superiority undermines the sacrifices, investments, and strategic independence of the Pakistan Air Force. Pakistan’s victory was driven by professional excellence, resilience, and strategic deployment of indigenous and allied (Turkish) resources, not Chinese benevolence. Policymakers, media, and defense analysts must correct this distortion and recognize Pakistan’s autonomous capability in asserting regional deterrence.
References
1The Times of India, Trump’s Big Claim on India-Pakistan Ceasefire, May 12, 2025
2Indian Express, Trump Offers Mediation on Kashmir, May 12, 2025
3Sky News, Ceasefire Holds, But Fragile, May 12, 2025
4Secret Projects Forum, JF-17 Development Timeline and Costs
5TECHi, Airforce Technology, Defence News India, JF-17 Unit Cost Overview
6Bulgarian Military, Aviation Stack Exchange, Block Versions of JF-17 Thunder
7Daily Sun, Pakistan’s Financial Commitments in JF-17 Program
8DefenceTalk, Crew Daily, Wikipedia, Export Sales Overview of JF-17
9MP-IDSA, Revenue Share Analysis of PAC and CAC in JF-17 Program
10The Diplomat, ThePrint, Defence Security Asia, Military Trade Analysis
About the Author:?Dr. Gholam Mujtaba, MS, MD, Ed.D., is a renowned scholar in strategic leadership, Chairman of the Pakistan Policy Institute USA, and a Cabinet-Level Advisor to President Donald J. Trump. A former provincial advisor in Pakistan and a strong advocate for Pakistan’s national sovereignty, Dr. Mujtaba has played an active role in diplomatic channels bridging South Asia and American leadership.
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