ABC warfare: Pakistan’s unified Radar-Jet-Awacs strategy exposes India’s defence gaps

Pakistan’s integration of advanced warfare systems has set a new benchmark in South Asian aerial defence, with China hailing Islamabad’s tactical edge during the latest India-Pakistan border flare-up.

A detailed report by China Space News, an outlet backed by China’s top aerospace agencies, praised Pakistan’s “ABC” combat structurem locked by A, launched by B, guided by C as a turning point in intelligent warfare.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) leveraged a seamless network of ground radars, fighter jets, and airborne warning and control systems (Awacs) to intercept and shoot down five Indian jets, according to official claims.

The report credited this data-driven, decentralised approach for outperforming India's outdated, fragmented defence protocols.

While the report didn’t directly name Chinese weapons, Pakistan’s recent acquisitions including the HQ-9P air defence system, ZDK-03 Awacs, and J-10CE fighter jets equipped with PL-15E missiles are all Chinese-made.

The use of this integrated ecosystem exemplifies a new phase in Pak-China defence cooperation, rooted in precision, real-time intelligence sharing, and cost-effective deterrence.

India, by contrast, has faced ongoing issues with interoperability between its imported systems an Achilles’ heel that, analysts warn, could continue to hamper response time and coordination in future conflicts.

With battlefield dynamics shifting from brute firepower to networked agility, Pakistan’s success is being seen as a wake-up call.

The report concluded that the country’s intelligent, asymmetric strategy has not only neutralised India’s numerical airpower advantage but also offered a model for how future warfare will be fought and potentially won.

As geopolitical tensions persist, this episode reaffirms the strategic depth of the Pak-China partnership, positioning it at the forefront of next-generation military coordination