ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Air Force has taken a transformative modernisation initiative, boosting overall combat capability with new hypersonic missiles that are said to be a game-changer.

Pakistan continues to upgrade its war capabilities and defence amid complex challenges about regional security and the induction of hypersonic missiles added to PAF’s prowess, given that these weapons are among advanced combat weaponry.

In a statement, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) claimed having hypersonic missiles that are capable of traveling at hypersonic speed defined as between 5 and 25 times the speed of sound or about 1 to 5 miles per second.

Pakistan’s all-weather friend Beijing, and rival neighbor India already have hypersonic and directed-energy weapons, with both Asian nations either developed or publicly stated intentions to develop such technology.

PAF said the transformative modernization move aimed to contradict growing threats in the current geostrategic threat scenario, prioritizing the induction of modern systems through smart acquisitions and indigenization.

It said J-10C fighter jets, Unmanned Aerial Systems, modern electronic warfare platforms, force multipliers, state-of-the-art integrated air defense systems, air mobility platforms, High to medium air defense [HIMAD], and hypersonic missile capabilities at an unprecedented pace have bolstered the PAF’s warfighting capabilities.

The country’s air force mentioned having an inclusive strategy to rebalance power dynamics in the region and become next generation force with induction of niche technologies, state-of-the-art equipment, and human resources trained on modern standards with contemporary architecture for Full Spectrum Cross Domain Multi Arena warfare readiness in the fields of Aviation, Space, Cyber, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Technology to address the modern aerial warfare challenges.

Pakistan Hypersonic Missiles

As Air Force made announcement about upgrade, experts said hypersonic missile was probably not a new addition but CM-400AKG, which Islamabad got a couple of years ago for JF-17 Thunder jets.

Hypersonic missiles are weaponry that travels at speeds greater than Mach 5, which is five times the speed of sound. The speeds make the speeds make them difficult for traditional missile defense systems to intercept.

Furthermore, these missiles are designed to be highly maneuverable, as they can make rapid and unpredictable changes in direction, and are challenging targets for anti-missile systems.

From flying at lower altitudes to long-range capabilities, this missile can cover huge distances in a short time. Besides usage as offensive weapons, it also holds potential applications in surveillance and other military or scientific purposes.