Crippled by Op Sindoor strikes, Pak eyeing Germany for air defence upgrades

Rattled by the devastating impact of BrahMos missile strikes during India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan is now exploring the procurement of a new air defence system to counter future threats.

According to sources, Islamabad is actively considering the purchase of the IRIS-T SLM air defence system from Germany in a bid to strengthen its aerial shield against India's supersonic cruise missiles, particularly the BrahMos.

The move comes after Pakistan's existing Chinese-origin air defence systems, including the HQ-9 and HQ-16, failed to detect or intercept Indian missile attacks during the operation.

In contrast, the IRIS-T SLM system has demonstrated significant effectiveness in recent combat situations. In Ukraine, where several units were redirected from Egypt due to the ongoing war, the German-made system has reportedly shot down over 60 aerial targets since its deployment last year.

Notably, it was said to have successfully intercepted Russian Oniks missiles, which are similar in profile to India's BrahMos.

Developed by Diehl Defence, the IRIS-T SLM is known for its modular and compact architecture. Each unit, estimated to cost around USD 200 million, includes radar, an operations centre, and launchers, all mounted on a 20-foot frame.

Pakistan's interest in the system highlights its urgent push to rebuild and upgrade its air defence network, particularly after key air bases were damaged by Indian missiles during Operation Sindoor.

Despite grappling with a severe economic crisis, Pakistan has raised its defence budget by 18 per cent this year while simultaneously scrapping domestic development projects valued at 1,000 billion Pakistani rupees.

Over the past month, the country has secured financial assistance totalling USD 1.8 billion from the Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to address its fiscal challenges.

Meanwhile, Germany's Diehl Defence, the maker of the IRIS-T SLM, is also involved in a major Indian defence initiative. The company is collaborating with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems on Project 75I, a Rs 70,000 crore programme to build six submarines for the Indian Navy.

This Indian-German collaboration also includes the development of the Interactive Defence and Attack System (IDAS), which will be integrated into the submarines.

Separately, India's Reliance Defence has announced a partnership to manufacture Vulcano 155mm precision-guided artillery shells domestically. The initiative is expected to generate revenues of approximately Rs 10,000 crore, with over 50 per cent of the components to be produced indigenously.