A Chinese supplied ballistic missile and Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) of Pakistan Army

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) website has disclosed that China had become the first country to export a powerful tracking system in an unprecedented deal that could speed up the Pakistani military’s development of multi-warhead missiles. This disclosure coming soon after President Xi’s ‘life long tenure’ only goes to suggest that China is bent on arming Pakistan to the teeth against India. 

It also strengthens the news that China is in the forefront of not just arming Pakistan but also in enhancing its nuclear capabilities rapidly to check India’s military strength. This, perhaps, is China’s response to India’s test of BrahMos, an intercontinental ballistic missile with a capacity to reach even Beijing. This test was conducted just two months ago by India. Pakistan has already deployed the Chinese-made system at a firing range for use in testing and developing its new missiles. 

India’s test of its Agni-V ICBM with a range of more than 5,000 km (3,100 miles), is seen as a message that the South Asian giant can deploy a credible nuclear deterrent against China. China, with all its announcements of advanced technologies and latest arms, still is wary of India and its capabilities. To protect its own economic interests in the Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan territory through which passes the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) and to deter India which had famously snubbed it in the Doklam issue sometime back, China is seething in revenge. 

It is well known that while India’s single-warhead missiles are bigger and cover longer distances, Pakistan has focused its efforts on developing multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), a type of missile carrying several nuclear warheads that can be directed towards different targets. Recently, the US Defence Intelligence Agency too had officially confirmed that Pakistan had conducted the first test launch of its nuclear-capable Ababeel missile in January 2017 which “demonstrated South Asia’s first MIRV payload”. 

This is the real danger for India which is struggling with depleting stock of its supplies and whose problems are only enhanced by its short-sighted politicians who shamelessly drive spokes in any proposed deal with allegations of corruption. The technology that Pakistan has acquired now with its MIRVs is so significant that it can deliver numerous warheads to different targets. The technology has the potential to overwhelm a missile defence system too wiping out an adversary’s nuclear arsenal in one surprise attack. 

Just imagine someone like Hafiz Sayeed (Sahib for the Congress leaders in India) who has floated a political party too now and will soon be contesting elections in the country. What if he becomes the head of the nation. Do we expect that this guy who continuously pushes terrorists from across the border, will keep quiet when he has fingers on the nuclear programme of the country? Here is a technology with a detection range of several hundred kilometres positioned in a different location with timing synchronised precisely with atomic clocks. 

Together, telescopes provide visual information of unprecedented detail and accuracy, which improves its performance. Anyway, the CAS statement is a rarity as China never admits to such deals. India be warned.