Engaged with India at their border in eastern Ladakh, China is, at the same time, helping Pakistan to enhance its firepower by selling to it state-of-the-art defence items. Intelligence sources said Pakistan is purchasing medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle 'Cai Hong-4' (CH-4) from China in bulk.
Sources said that a 10-member Pakistan Army team, led by Brigadier Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, has visited China to review the procurement process. "The Pakistan Army team went to China for factory acceptance test for items procured from the Aerospace Long-March International Trade Company (ALIT), China. The team was led by Brigadier Mohammad Zafar Iqbal," a source said.
It was also found that Iqbal had also visited China in December 2019 for the factory acceptance test of the first tranche of Cai Hong-4 for which delivery was to commence in 2020.
The CH-4 has a take-off mass between 1,200-1,300 kg, depending on the variant, and can also carry a wide range of freightage. It is now in service with various military forces, including the Iraqi Army and the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
Sources also stated that the ALIT has offered Pakistan command and control options for these UAVs, including direct line-of-sight and satellite communications. Pakistan has planned to deploy these UAVs at Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to create further unrest. "China is helping Pakistan to do so," said the source.
India and China are locked in an over three-month-long stand-off, hitherto unprecedented,at multiple points along the border.
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