PAKISTAN Air Force is expected to receive its first batch of J-35A fifth-generation multirole fighters as early as next year, making the possibility of PL-21 integration a subject of growing excitement.
We hope to mirror the precedent set by China’s transfer of the PL-15 missile to the PAF for its Rafale killer J-10C fleet, which is believed to have deliv-ered strategic success during recent aerial engagements with India.
Excited by the performance of Pakistan’s J-10C fighters equipped with PL-15 air-to-air missiles—believed to have successfully shot down several Indian Air Force jets we are now eager to see upcoming J-35A or J-10C similarly armed with the PL-21.
Under the initial agreement, Pakistan was scheduled to begin receiving the first of 40 J-35A aircraft towards the end of 2026, but the revised time-line underscores the urgency driving bilateral defence collaboration.
Pakistan’s future air combat capability is on the cusp of a generational leap.
Pakistan’s plans to procure 40 J-35A stealth fighters mark the first known export of a fifth-generation fighter aircrafts by China, a milestone China is eager to showcase in its rise as a global defence exporter.
During the most recent India-Pakistan conflict, Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets using PL-15 equipped J-10Cs, including three Rafales, one Su-30MKI, one MiG-29 and one Mirage 2000.
The PL-21, which remains under active development by Chinese defence firms, is envisioned as a next-generation missile capable of targeting AWACS, refuelling tankers and electronic warfare aircraft from ranges ex-ceeding 400 kilometres.
Strategically, PL-21 represents a leap in China’s “airborne area-denial” doctrine, giving it the capability to force en-emy high-value assets to operate far from contested zones or risk being neutralized before delivering combat support.
Western airborne command and support aircraft such as the E-3 Sentry, KC-135 Stratotanker and RC-135 Rivet Joint would no longer enjoy immunity at the rear, which directly impacts operations involving the F-22, F-35 and allied stealth assets.
Designed to be deployed from long-range interceptors like the J-16, J-20 and the forthcoming J-20B, the PL-21 enables strike operations against airborne enablers without compromising the safety of the launch platform.
In future high-intensity conflicts across the Indo-Pacific, where air engagements may occur beyond 300 kilometres and rely heavily on AEW&C and satellite-fed ISR, the PL-21 could define which side controls the sky before the first fighter closes within visual range.
Its potential deployment in regions like the South China Sea, East China Sea, or Taiwan Strait would significantly impact strategic calculations of US allies including Japan, South Korea and Austra-lia.
If the PL-15 transformed conventional BVR air combat, the PL-21 could revolutionize strategic aerial warfare, priori-tizing support-kill strategies over dog-fighting or manoeuvre dominance.
Should the missile be exported to Pakistan, PAF’s future J-35A fleet could deliver long-range strikes against Indian Netra AEW&C, Phalcon AWACS and Il-78 tankers from standoff ranges, neutralizing India’s aerial C4ISR backbone before traditional combat begins.
India, in response, would likely accelerate its own long-range missile programs, including the AIM-260 JATM via US partner-ship or expand its Meteor missile inventory for its Rafale squadrons.
India would be compelled to enhance its layered air defence networks, integrating systems like the S-400, Akash-NG and LR-SAM to shield its airborne C4I assets.
Should Pakistan become the first foreign operator of the PL-21, it would once again serve as China’s live demonstration partner, as seen with the PL-15E, validating system effective-ness and expanding China’s defence export market.
Countries such as Iran, Egypt and select Gulf states could become future buyers, attracted by the PL-21’s potential to counter superior Western air assets without matching them plat-form-for-platform.
With J-35A and PL-21 in its arsenal, Pakistan would join a small group of air forces capable of ultra-long-range strategic air-to-air strikes, aligning it with China, US and Russia.
This development would compel India to conduct a comprehensive overhaul of its air warfare doctrine, shifting from legacy dog-fighting concepts to standoff, electronically contested combat where superiority is defined by reach and disruption.
As regional tensions mount and the Indo-Pacific arms race accelerates, the PL-21’s emergence may mark the tipping point in a new era of air dominance—one where victory is dictated not by who flies faster, but by who shoots first from furthest and blinds the enemy before the battle begins.
Undoubtedly, the deadliest PL-21 and J-35A arsenal will swing the pendulum and change the strategic dynamics of the region.
Such a capability would allow the PAF to exploit the full spectrum of the “first look, first shoot, first kill” doctrine, reducing the need to penetrate Indian airspace while striking critical airborne enablers.
—The writer is author of several books based in UK. (naveedamankhan@hotmail.com)
