Pakistan Pakistan's Chinese-supplied LY-80E SAMs Suffered Nearly 500 Defects: Report

[Gessler]

--- Google-translated from Italian ---

(by Tiziano Ciocchetti) 26/07/22

Pakistani air defense is severely damaged by Beijing's inability to maintain surface-to-air missile systems supplied five years ago.

In practice, China has failed to provide an adequate number of spare parts, thus delaying the full operation of the weapon systems.

We are talking about the HQ-16 (LY-80) medium-range surface-to-air missiles, acquired by Pakistan in 2017 as a key system for the protection of national skies.

The HQ-16 is equipped with a vertical launch system, which gives it 360 ° coverage and the ability to operate in a complicated geographic environment. The missile system is mounted on a China-designed 6x6 high-mobility chassis rather than tracked platforms, providing ease of maintenance and improved mobility on the road.

The missile system would be able to intercept aerial targets at altitudes between 15 km and 18 km. The maximum interception range for aircraft is 40 km, while for cruise missiles it would be between 3.5 km and 12 km.

The manufacturer, China Aerospace Science and Technology, would argue that the probability of killing is 85% against aircraft and 60% against cruise missiles. The missile is credited with a speed greater than mach 4.

The HQ-16 system includes an IBIS-150 3D target search radar, a solid state S-band passive Electronically Scanned Array (PESA) radar with a range of up to 150km, PESA tracking and guidance in multiple L-bands radar and missile launchers six-cell vertical. Each L-band tracking radar has a range of 85km and can detect up to six targets, including four. An HQ-16 battery includes a location radar and four missile launchers.

Pakistan has placed at least two separate HQ-16 orders. According to the Pakistani Ministry of Defense Production (MoDP) disclosure, Pakistan ordered three HQ-16 systems and eight IBIS-150 radars in 2013-2014 for $ 225.77 million and $ 40 million, respectively. This was followed up in 2014-2015 with an order for $ 373.23 million for six additional HQ-16 systems.

The HQ-16 was hailed as "the beginning of a new era in the nation's air defense".

Over the past five years, the systems have developed over 477 defects, paralyzing Pakistan's air defense. Islamabad has tried to run for cover, but with little success.

The Chinese company sent a special team of engineers in May-June 2021, but the issues proved too extensive to fully resolve them. Sufficient spare parts were missing. A second team of Chinese technicians, sent in the following October, was also unable to complete the job.

Yet Pakistan, given its poor economic situation, has no choice but to continue acquiring Chinese weapons: the purchase of 6 more HQ-16 systems has already been planned.

Le carenze progettuali e logistiche cinesi mettono in crisi la difesa aerea pakistana

La difesa aerea pakistana è seriamente danneggiata dall’incapacità di Pechino di manutenere i sistemi missilistici superficie-aria forniti 5 anni fa. In pratica la Cina non ha provveduto a fornire un numero adeguato di pezzi di ricambio, ritardando così la piena operatività dei sistemi d’arma...

www.difesaonline.it

I cannot personally verify the source of this information, believe at your own risk. Though similar such reports in the past such as the Chinese being unwilling (or unable) to upgrade PAF's ZDK-03s, JF-17s not being able to sustain supersonic speeds, and Germany refusing supply of diesels for Hangor-class submarines, have been proven correct. My guess, they're all fed directly or indirectly from several large-scale leaks/hacks that targeted the country a while ago.

 

[xizhimen]

Lol, what source is this, a forum post?

 

[xizhimen]

Just did an online check, all originally Indian sources as expected. Don't know why you chose a translated foreign repost, why not directly get them from the original Indian sources? they are many of them doing this story, even in your translated post, it stated that is from an Indian source

 

[Gessler]

Just did an online check, all originally Indian sources as expected. Don't know why you chose a translated foreign repost, why not directly get them from the original Indian sources? they are many of them doing this story, even in your translated post, it stated that is from an Indian source

Where it says that? I've found this story on other sites as well but they all point back to Difesaonline - for which I've already written a disclaimer.

This is not the first time Chinese-supplied hardware proved defective either:

Chinese frigates give jitters to Pakistani Navy - Geopolitica.info

At least four Chinese frigates, F-22P commissioned in July 2009, are giving nightmares to Pakistani Navy officers and men tasked to keep them afloat in the turbulent waters of Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Three of these frigates were bought from the China Shipbuilding Trading Company, while one...

www.geopolitica.info

There's a reason why Pakistan preferred to buy F-16s and T-129s. They only come to J-10s and Z-10s when for whatever reason their access to Western techs was blocked. Even their tanks jointly produced with China use Ukrainian engines instead of Chinese ones.

And Pakistan is hardly the only country that displays this pattern of behaviour. We've all seen Thailand refused to buy your subs if they did not come with the German diesel engine. Only ones that buy are either those that are desperate/cannot get from anywhere else or those who can't afford anything else.

This article is hardly out of character.

 

[xizhimen]

Where it says that? I've found this story on other sites as well but they all point back to Difesaonline - for which I've already written a disclaimer.

This is not the first time Chinese-supplied hardware proved defective either:

Chinese frigates give jitters to Pakistani Navy - Geopolitica.info

At least four Chinese frigates, F-22P commissioned in July 2009, are giving nightmares to Pakistani Navy officers and men tasked to keep them afloat in the turbulent waters of Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Three of these frigates were bought from the China Shipbuilding Trading Company, while one...

www.geopolitica.info

There's a reason why Pakistan preferred to buy F-16s and T-129s. They only come to J-10s and Z-10s when for whatever reason their access to Western techs was blocked. Even their tanks jointly produced with China use Ukrainian engines instead of Chinese ones.

And Pakistan is hardly the only country that displays this pattern o

f behaviour. We've all seen Thailand refused to buy your subs if they did not come with the German diesel engine. Only ones that buy are either those that are desperate/cannot get from anywhere else or those who can't afford anything else.

This article is hardly out of character.

Why the sources are so vague and fishy, and should UK and Japan blame their F-35 crashes on US?