Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 4: When India was fighting a war on one border during “Operation Sindoor” in May, it was facing three adversaries, Pakistan, China and Turkey. The China-Pakistan defence relationship has evolved beyond conventional arms transfers as China has made Pakistan a “live lab” to test its weapons against other weapons, according to the Army’s Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance), Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh.
The top official pointed to the adversaries India was up against and said while conflict was taking place on one border (western), there were three adversaries — Pakistan, China and Turkey, as the latter two provided military hardware and drones to the Pakistani army.
His remarks came while addressing an event ‘New Age Military Technologies’ organised by FICCI in the national capital on Friday. An overwhelming 81 per cent of Pakistan’s military hardware were of Chinese origin with China using Pakistan like a “live lab” to test its military tech, he said.
Tension between India and Pakistan escalated following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. India responded with Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror-related sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Indian response resulted in the deaths of over 100 terrorists associated with groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
“There are a few lessons from Operation Sindoor. The strategic messaging by leadership was unambiguous. There is no scope of absorbing the pain the way we did a few years ago. The planning and selection of targets was based on a lot of data that was collected using technology and human intelligence. So a total of 21 targets were actually identified, out of which nine targets we thought would be prudent to engage. It was only the final day or the final hour that the decision was taken that these nine targets would be engaged,” Lt Gen Singh said. A considered decision was taken that it will be a tri-services approach to send the right message that we indeed are an integrated force,” he said.
According to Lt Gen Singh, the China-Pakistan defence relationship has evolved beyond conventional arms transfers amid concerns that China was treating its close ties with Pakistan as an opportunity for experimentation, including the deployment of advanced platforms and surveillance systems in real-world conflict scenarios.
“We had one border and two adversaries, actually three. Pakistan was in the front. China was providing all possible support. 81 per cent of the military hardware with Pakistan is Chinese. China is able to test its weapons against other weapons, so it’s like a live lab available to them. Turkey also played an important role in providing the type of support it did. When DGMO-level talks were on, Pakistan had the live updates of our important vectors, from China. We need a robust air defence system,” he said.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China has sold arms worth $8.2 billion to Pakistan since 2015. Between 2020 and 2024, China ranked as the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter. Nearly two-thirds or 63 per cent of these exports went to Pakistan, making Islamabad China’s biggest weapons client.
This supply chain includes over half of Pakistan’s fighter fleet, dominated by the JF-17 Thunder co-developed with China, and the more advanced J-10C multirole fighter aircraft. Reports suggest that Pakistan is now set to induct 40 Shenyang J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters from China, placing it among a limited group of nations with stealth combat capability.
A recent report by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for 2025 states that India perceives China as its “primary adversary,” while Pakistan is seen as more of an “ancillary security problem to be managed.”
Lt Gen Singh said “Air defence and how it panned out during the entire operation was important… This time, our population centres were not quite addressed, but next time, we need to be prepared for that. He also mentioned Turkey for the role it played in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. “Turkey also played an important role in providing the type of support it did,” Lt Gen Singh added.
Notably, Turkey provided drones to Pakistan, which were used to target Indian cities and military installations during Operation Sindoor. Indian air defence systems had shot down most of the incoming projectiles, including missiles, thus preventing any damage.
“An important consideration was that we should always be at the top of the escalation ladder. When we reach a military objective, we should try and put a stop to it… War is easy to initiate, but it’s very difficult to control. So I would say that was a very masterly stroke that was played to stop the war at an appropriate time,” the official added.
As India struck 11 of Pakistan’s airbases on May 10, Pakistan’s DGMO reached out to his Indian counterpart, urging a ceasefire. India and Pakistan reached an “understanding” to halt the military operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the operation was only on a pause, and Operation Sindoor was not over yet.
