ISLAMABAD: “DON’T YOU DARE RADIATE”, said the aviation patch worn by our PAF Pilots who were assigned to destroy India’s Air Defense System S400. The patch further said, “THUNDER SEAD- (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses)”.
“It’s not only that we wore it during this mission, but this patch signifies that the Pakistan Air Force was already prepared to destroy Indian Air Defenses”, said a defense source who wished to remain anonymous.
India’s prized S-400 “Triumf” air defence system which according to some experts is even better than America’s THAAD (Terminally High Altitude Air Defence) system- was destroyed by JF-17 “Thunder” multirole fighter—co-produced by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC)—armed with two CM-400AKG missiles.
“We effectively employed the CM-400AKG to incapacitate the enemy’s air defense system,” stated the source.
It is important to mention here that these CM-400AKG missiles were long speculated to be in Pakistan’s arsenal but never before publicly confirmed.
The CM-400AKG has the ability to achieve speeds ranging from Mach 4.5 to Mach 5.5, which places it near the hypersonic classification based on its trajectory and altitude.
Further explanation by the source revealed that the CM-400AKG can “detect” and lock onto the radar signals produced by adversary air defense systems, including the S-400.
By focusing on the S-400’s radar, the CM-400 AKG can incapacitate or neutralize the entire air defense network, leaving it exposed to subsequent strikes. The CM-400 AKG’s extended range permits it to target enemy air defense systems from a secure distance, minimizing the danger to the launching aircraft. By neutralizing or eliminating enemy air defenses, the CM-400 AKG’s SEAD capabilities foster a more advantageous setting for additional air-to-ground assaults.
Military experts quoted by China’s Xinhua news agency noted that the destruction of an operational S-400 battery- would represent a severe blow to India’s layered air defence architecture and could dramatically shift tactical planning in the region.
Whereas, the Indian Triumf S-400 missile defence system is a surface-to-air missile system developed in Russia. It is one of the most advanced and potent operationally deployed surface-to-air missile systems. According to some experts, it is quite ahead of a similar long-range missile system developed by the USA, called THAAD (Terminally High Altitude Air Defence) system.
Nevertheless, India denied Pakistan’s claim of destroying its Russian-made Air Defense System- S400.
