Pakistan’s Air Force says it has a hypersonic-capable missile

Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified an air defense system Pakistan acquired. The country has not acquired the High Mobility Air Defense System but rather the High to Medium Air Defence Weapons System.

ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan Air Force has revealed the existence of a hypersonic missile capability, noting on social media and in a news release that the weapon is part of a wider modernization effort “to counter evolving threats.”

The service said the capability is meant to help create a “potent force and to rebalance the power dynamics in the region” under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.

Other modernization efforts have included the “acquisition of J-10C fighter jets, Unmanned Aerial Systems, modern electronic warfare platforms, force multipliers, state-of-the-art integrated air defense systems, air mobility platforms, [and High to Medium Air Defence Weapons Systems],” the service said.

The Air Force did not respond to Defense News’ questions by press time for further information about the hypersonic missile.

Pakistan’s main supplier of military equipment , China, unveiled its air-launched YJ-21E hypersonic missile at the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow. However, a H-6K Badger bomber carried the weapon — an aircraft type not in service with Pakistan.

Timothy Wright, a military analyst the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, said Pakistan’s hypersonic missile is likely not a new weapon, but rather the CM-400AKG, which the country acquired five years ago for its JF-17 Thunder jets. The service’s release included a video featuring the CM-400AKG missile.

“According to the missile’s manufacturer [ Aviation Industry Corporation of China ], the CM-400AKG can travel at hypersonic [Mach 5-plus] speeds,” he told Defense News. “However, there has not been an independent assessment of this claim.”

“It is possible the missile is instead a high-supersonic system” reaching speeds between Mach 3 and Mach 4.9, he added.

However, he said, Pakistan’s claim that it has a hypersonic-capable missile may be due to factors during the specific launch.

“The missile’s high speed might be achieved by the missile’s supposed flight trajectory, most of which takes place at high altitudes where it will encounter less drag, after which the missile descends toward its target,” he explained.

Usman Ansari is the Pakistan correspondent for Defense News.

更正：此前报道错误地指出巴基斯坦采购了一种防空系统。该国采购的并非高机动防空系统，而是中高空防空武器系统。

伊斯兰堡——巴基斯坦空军透露，该国已具备高超音速导弹能力。巴基斯坦空军在社交媒体和新闻稿中指出，该武器是“为应对不断演变的威胁”而进行的更广泛现代化努力的一部分。

该军方表示，这项能力旨在帮助在空军元帅扎希尔·艾哈迈德·巴贝尔·西杜的领导下，打造一支“强大的力量，并重新平衡该地区的权力格局”。

该军种表示，其他现代化努力包括“采购歼-10C战斗机、无人机系统、现代电子战平台、力量倍增器、最先进的综合防空系统、空中机动平台[以及高空至中空防空武器系统]”。

截至发稿时，美国空军尚未回复《防务新闻》关于高超音速导弹的进一步询问。

巴基斯坦的主要军事装备供应国中国在2022年珠海航展上展示了其空射型YJ-21E高超音速导弹。然而，携带该导弹的是一架H-6K“獾”式轰炸机——巴基斯坦并未装备该型号飞机。

国际战略研究所的军事分析师蒂莫西·赖特表示，巴基斯坦展示的高超音速导弹很可能并非新型武器，而是五年前巴基斯坦为其JF-17“雷电”战斗机采购的CM-400AKG导弹。巴基斯坦军方发布的视频中也展示了CM-400AKG导弹。

“据导弹制造商（中国航空工业集团公司）称，CM-400AKG导弹可以以高超音速（5马赫以上）飞行，”他告诉《防务新闻》。“然而，目前还没有针对这一说法的独立评估。”

“导弹也可能是一种超音速高速度系统”，他补充说，其速度可达 3 马赫至 4.9 马赫之间。

但他表示，巴基斯坦声称拥有高超音速导弹可能是由于特定发射过程中的某些因素造成的。

他解释说：“导弹的高速可能是通过其假定的飞行轨迹实现的，其大部分飞行都在高空进行，这样可以减少阻力，之后导弹才会下降射向目标。”

乌斯曼·安萨里是《防务新闻》驻巴基斯坦记者。