The Pakistan Air Force has always attracted the attention of various countries, and the comparison between it and the Indian Air Force has become almost the only criterion for judging the air power of the South Asian region. Now, the "official announcement" of the commander of the Pakistan Air Force has undoubtedly brought this balance of strength to a new height. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new equipment of the Pakistan Air Force, the commander made it clear that Pakistan is ready to acquire Chinese FC-31 stealth fighters. In the future, this ** fifth-generation aircraft will become a member of the Pakistan Air Force. As soon as the news came out, there was a continuous discussion in India and abroad about the impact it would have on South Asia. At this stage, India is not equipped with stealth fighters, which undoubtedly puts great pressure on the Indian Air Force.
If Pakistan's choice of FC-31 is "speeding up", then India's side is more passive. India is also aware that this could lead to India falling further behind its rivals in the field of fifth-generation aircraft. There is a suggestion from India that India should consider continuing to import fifth-generation aircraft from Russia or the United States to fill this shortcoming. However, a careful analysis of the feasibility of these options is not optimistic. Neither with the Russian Su-57 project, nor with the American F-35, will not be an easy task for India. Limited production capacity or harsh political conditions will seriously limit India's progress in acquiring advanced fighter jets.
And apart from the introduction of fighter jets, India does not seem to have a better choice. India has been developing its own fifth-generation aircraft for a long time, but progress has been slow. India's LCA modern fighter is considered to be equivalent to the "four and a half generations" level at most. The AMCA project, which really has high hopes, will not be completed until the 30s of this century. In the current situation, it is obvious that it has lost its strategic advantage and cannot solve the urgent need. It can be said that whether it is the introduction of foreign aircraft or independent research and development, India's road to obtaining fifth-generation aircraft is difficult. This is in stark contrast to the state of the Pakistan Air Force's "stocked up".
In contrast, Pakistan's choice of FC-31 this time is undoubtedly a very strategic move. After China's J-20, J-35 and other stealth fighters have been launched one after another, the FC-31, as a typical export stealth fighter, has continued to improve its performance. Not long ago, the leading figure of the Chinese Air Force also made it clear that China is fully confident in providing fifth-generation aircraft to Pakistan. This undoubtedly provides reliable support for the equipment upgrade of the Pakistan Air Force. Some analysts believe that the addition of the FC-31 and the cooperation of the J-10C are enough to greatly improve the combat effectiveness of the Pakistan Air Force. This may lead to a major structural change in the air power balance between India and Pakistan in the fifth-generation aircraft system.
This incident quickly caused heated discussions on the Internet, with some netizens believing that Pakistan's acquisition of FC-31 would change the regional pattern, and India would face a severe test of air force modernization. Some netizens also believe that China's assistance to the development of Pakistan's air force is conducive to the regional balance of power. Some netizens believe that India should not rely too much on foreign equipment and should concentrate resources on developing its own air force industry.
It can be seen that Pakistan's announcement of the introduction of FC-31 this time has undoubtedly broken the original military balance between India and Pakistan. At a time when the Indian Air Force is still mired in generational change, Pakistan appears to be accelerating the process of modernizing its air force. This is undoubtedly a serious challenge for India. So, how can India respond to this situation?This paper suggests that India should not only accelerate the research and development of its own fifth-generation aircraft, but also actively seek to appropriately introduce other countries to mature and realize the large-scale upgrading of its air force. At the same time, all sectors should also maintain a calm and rational attitude, because this kind of arms race is not in the long-term development interests of the South Asian region.