GODZILLA DOWN! India-Pakistan Clash and Chinese Military Technology with TP Huang — Manifold #87
Steve and TP discuss the implications of the recent air battle between India and Pakistan, which involved over 100 fighter jets and took place entirely beyond visual range (BVR). What is sensor fusion, and have the Pakistanis achieved it with Chinese technology? Does the PL-15 outrange and outperform Western air-to-air missiles? What are the implications for US-China military competition?
Read TP Huang on X: https://x.com/tphuang
(00:00) - GODZILLA IS DOWN! India-Pakistan Clash and Chinese Military Technology with TP Huang — #87
(00:32) - Introduction to the India-Pakistan Conflict
(02:15) - Details of the Air Battle
(04:40) - Expert Analysis by TP Huang
(08:34) - Analysis of Air Battle Tactics and Technology
(12:40) - Role of Chinese Technology
(16:13) - Implications for Future Warfare
(25:23) - Indian and Pakistani Military Strategies
(34:34) - Unexpected Aggression: India's Miscalculation
(36:52) - Pakistan's Strategic Restraint
(39:19) - The Rafale Controversy: A Deep Dive
(43:08) - Electronic Warfare: Myths vs. Reality
(52:31) - Future of Indian Air Force: Tough Choices Ahead
Audio-only version and transcript:
I don’t know anything about this stuff, but *very* fascinating/enjoyable to listen in on!
Yes, the paradigm has shifted. Where as before this, the long range air to air missiles rarely achieve any kills, the changes in the entire kill chain, and the AESA as well as the dual pulse nature of the PL15 has made this possible. Even if the F-35 is involved, given that
1. The Chinese can still track F-35 via satellite,
2. A more capable AWACS like the KJ-500 can still detect the F-35 at a reasonable range and guide the missile close by.
3. The PL15 will be flying down from very high up looking down. The F-35 was designed to be low observable from far away, not from the top, so PL-15 can still detect the F-35.
I don't know if the outcome will be very different. Maybe the F-35 will have better electronic suits and will be able to detect the PL-15 sooner and take counter-measures against the PL-15, but it may have to deal with multiple of these. Since the AESA is frequency hopping, it will be much harder to jam.