Islamabad: Pakistan is now "backing away" from the US, its long-time strategic arms partner, and has joined hands with China to "beef up" its arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles, experts have said.
Pakistan recently testfired a nuclear-capable missile from an undisclosed location, for its short-range surface-to-surface Hatf-2 class rocket, which has been developed with help from China, Fox News reported.
The US was the main supplier of weapons to Pakistan since the mid-1960s. But it began to back away from the deals after years of "difficult and sometimes unpredictable" relations following the 9/11 terror attack.
"The US no longer fully supports the military ambitions of a Pakistan that is being destabilised by an insurgency it cannot control, rising radicalism and antiwesternism, and a government considered by some too weak and corrupt," it said.
"That led Pakistan to replace the US with China as a main source of defence material, at least in terms of arsenal, development and training."
Nate Hughes, director of military analysis at Stratfor, a think tank, said: "China is perceived as not coming with nearly as many strings attached as relations with the US."
In November last year, when the US delivered a few of the F-16 fighter jets it had pledged to Pakistan, Islamabad said it has also ordered from China SD10 homing missiles and radar systems to equip its JF-17 jets.
China will also send Pakistan 250 JF-17s over the next five to 10 years, it said.
A $1.3 billion deal has also been reportedly signed to buy J-10 fighters and six submarines.
A Pakistani official, who was not named, said it was important for the navy to acquire more submarines to offset the pressure the country might come under due to rapid expansion of India's naval capability. IANS
14 Pak troops killed by own mortar shell
At least 14 Pakistani security personnel, including a Colonel and a captain, were killed when one of their own mortar shells exploded during a battle with Taliban militants in the troubled northwestern Khyber tribal region. The incident occurred when a group of 50 Taliban militants attacked a security check post in Akakhel area of Khyber tribal agency last night, official sources said. Fourteen security personnel were killed when a shell they were loading into a weapon exploded accidentally during the battle with the militants, they said. The dead included a Colonel, a Captain and 12 personnel of the Mehsud Scouts, the sources said. PTI
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