Pakistan Has a Strategy Problem, Not a Money Problem

Pakistan Has a Strategy Problem, Not a Money Problem

Is India really buying the Russian Su-57 "Felon"? Bilal Khan and Arslan Khan open by unpacking why the India–Russia FGFA program collapsed after nearly two decades, why Moscow's new offer is suddenly so generous, and why the Su-57-vs-Rafale fight is driven by industrial revenue-share politics as much as by capability. The conversation then widens into the real lesson of the JF-17 — the RD-93 engine, dependence on China, the PLAAF order that never came, the markups that forced Pakistan to build its own munitions, the true cost of CPEC, and why Ukraine is the partnership model Pakistan should have pursued years ago. It closes on the strategic stakes of India's looming nuclear breakout and a look ahead to Woot-Tech's rocket-assisted-takeoff test. ⏱️ Chapters00:00 Is India actually procuring the Su-57?00:30 The FGFA saga: two decades of Russia–India fifth-gen failure17:06 Why Russia needs India now (Ukraine, sanctions, co-production)20:30 Rafale vs Su-57: the IAF vs Indian-industry split23:30 What Pakistan should do: Beijing, Moscow & rare-earth leverage24:30 Russia vs Ukraine, from first principles26:19 The JF-17 / RD-93 engine and Pakistan's Ukraine workaround29:34 China isn't charity: who really profits from the JF-1736:05 The 200-jet PLAAF order that never came42:29 Egregious markups: the Range Extension Kit & MFD shakedowns45:00 NESCOM, the Air Weapons Complex & the Azb/Raad family46:18 CPEC, debt servicing and where Pakistan's money goes53:26 The China that used to help — and why it changed1:01:43 Ayub Khan, the 1960s nuclear fuel cycle & the mindset trap1:09:11 Ukraine's hidden industrial base and Firepoint1:19:49 Prioritising Ukraine without antagonising Russia1:22:14 India's nuclear breakout and global strike1:29:33 Next week: Woot-Tech's RATO test & Pakistan's private rocket sector 📖 Mentioned: Mansoor Ahmed, Pakistan's Pathway to the Bomb.🔗 More analysis at quwa.org Defence Uncut is the first dedicated English-language Pakistani defence commentary podcast. New episodes weekly.

Russia’s Air Defence Deal With the Taliban — and Pakistan’s Policy Failure | Defence Uncut

Russia has reportedly agreed to supply and help maintain air defence systems for the Afghan Taliban. But as Bilal Khan and Arslan Khan explain, the real danger isn't to Pakistan's fighter jets — it's the proliferation of MANPADS across the region, and the policy failures that allowed it. This episode unpacks the reported Russia–Taliban air defence deal, why loose MANPADS are a bigger threat than any S-400, and how Pakistan's tightrope act between Russia and Ukraine cost it a reliable defence partner. The conversation then moves through the latest PAF developments — Saab 2000 / Erieye AEW&C, the PFX Alpha program and JF-17 AESA roadmap, the air-cooled vs liquid-cooled KLJ-7A debate, NESCOM's FAAZ missile family, and loyal wingman UCAVs — before closing on the case for a national-interest foreign policy, including a hard look at Iran. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:23 Russia's reported air defence deal with the Taliban 06:28 Why MANPADS proliferation is the real regional threat 10:57 Pakistan's Russia-vs-Ukraine policy failure 24:31 MANPADS, the TTP/BLA, and Chinese export controls 26:37 Red lines, national interest & the Gulf energy play 30:03 PAF Saab 2000 update & a domestic AEW&C ambition 35:41 PFX Alpha program & the JF-17 OCU upgrade 37:53 Air-cooled vs liquid-cooled KLJ-7A 43:10 NESCOM's FAAZ air-to-air & surface-to-air missile programs 52:52 Loyal wingman UCAVs — answering the audience pushback 1:01:28 Your comments: Kızılelma and the Iran question 1:03:46 Why Iran is treated as an adversary, not an ally 1:09:03 Closing argument: pursue the national interest Defence Uncut is the first dedicated English-language Pakistani defence commentary podcast, breaking down military procurement, events, and strategy in focused detail. Read more analysis at Quwa: https://quwa.org Go deeper with Quwa Plus: https://quwa.org/plus Leave your questions and comments — we get to them in the next episode.

Will the PAF Buy the Kızılelma? Baykar, Engine Risks, and Pakistan's UCAV Roadmap

Pakistan Air Force Chief ACM Zaheer Babar Sidhu visited Baykar Technologies in Turkey and was photographed with the Bayraktar Kızılelma — a jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that could reshape how the PAF approaches deep strike, loyal wingman operations, and force structure planning. In this episode, Bilal Khan and Arslan Khan go deep on what this visit signals and — more importantly — what comes next. We break down the Kızılelma's capabilities and limitations, compare it with TAI's Anka-3, dig into the Ukrainian engine supply chain problem (AI-25 / AI-322), and explore whether Baykar's Pakistan subsidiary could co-develop a sovereign sensor and datalink stack with NASTP. We also examine the gap nobody is filling: the 2–3 ton attritable UCAV class that the US (MQ-Next, XQ-58 Valkyrie), and potentially NESCOM, are pursuing. Plus — could the Pakistan Navy one day operate its own UCAV-based strike wing? Other topics: Akinci UAV shoot-down in Sudan, Saab's LoyalEye AEW pod on MQ-9B, PFX as a potential unmanned fighter program, and why the PAF's "original solutions" doctrine matters for long-term sovereignty. New episodes weekly. Full articles at quwa.org.

Fatah IV Air Burst Test, JF-17 Block 4 & Why PAF Training Matters More Than J-35s | Defence Uncut S2E05

Pakistan's Army Rocket Force Command tested the Fatah IV ground-launched cruise missile with an air burst warhead and new imaging infrared seeker — the latest step in Pakistan's conventional deterrence build-up. Bilal Khan and Arslan Khan unpack what the Fatah IV's evolution from the Harba series means for mass production and scalability, then dive into the Z-10ME attack helicopter's millimetric wave radar evaluation and what it signals about Army Aviation's procurement timeline. The episode also covers JF-17 Block 3 production realities, the case for Block 4/PFX Alpha as the JF-17's final evolution, and why the PAF's ageing T-37 and K-8 training pipeline may be a more urgent priority than fifth-generation fighter procurement. In the Q&A segment: the Link 17 data link controversy (can AWACS guide PL-15 missiles?), BrahMos countermeasures, whether Pakistan should repurpose the JF-17 as a LIFT platform, the J-35 timeline, and the future size of the PAF fighter fleet. Published by Quwa (quwa.org) — the first English-language Pakistan defence analysis publication. Questions: podcast@quwa.org

Pakistan's New Missiles, Drones & Fighter Jets — One Year After the India Conflict

One year after the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, Pakistan's military procurement picture has fundamentally changed. In this episode, Bilal Khan, Arslan Khan, and Aseem break down the full scope of Pakistan's post-conflict military modernization — from the FATA-3 supersonic cruising missile to Shahed-style drone factories, the Army Rocket Force Command, PAF fighter fleet expansion, satellite reconnaissance, and the decision-making challenge that will determine whether any of it matters. Topics covered: — FATA-3 supersonic cruising missile and its HD-1 connection — Army Rocket Force Command: structure, mandate, and multimodal strike concept — FATA missile family breakdown (FATA-1 guided MLRS, FATA-2 tactical ballistic, FATA-3 supersonic cruiser, FATA-4 cruise missile) — Pakistan Navy supersonic missile requirements (CM-302, SMASH) — Shahed-style loitering munition mass production strategy — Jet-powered vs piston-powered drones: why simplicity wins — Turkish drone industry critique and Baykar in Pakistan — Pakistan Army counter-UAS programs and electronic warfare investment — Z-10ME attack helicopter and the future of army aviation — PAF fighter procurement: J-10, JF-17, and the J-35 question — Fifth-generation fighter timing: J-35, TFX/KAAN, and the KF-21 dark horse — RAAD cruise missile reconfiguration for conventional strike and anti-ship roles — Pakistan's satellite and ISTAR buildup (EO, SAR, hyperspectral) — Kill chain closure: satellites vs munitions stockpiles — Lessons learned: decision-making speed, pre-delegated authority, and Pakistan's shift from defensive to offensive posture Defence Uncut is the first dedicated English-language Pakistani defence news commentary podcast. Fo