Defence Security Asia

As Pakistan moves decisively toward the acquisition of China’s HQ-19 long-range anti-ballistic missile system, South Asia’s strategic equilibrium enters a high-stakes new phase shaped by advanced missile defence technologies and great-power alignments.

In a development that could redefine the parameters of the Israel-Iran shadow war, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has publicly claimed responsibility for a precision-guided missile strike on what it asserts were two of Israel’s most sensitive intelligence command centers: the Aman military intelligence directorate and the Mossad headquarters.

Iran has claimed to have successfully shot down a fourth Israeli F-35 stealth fighter jet, allegedly intercepted by its air defence systems over Tabriz, northwestern Iran, marking what it describes as a pivotal moment in the evolving air war with Israel.

India has overtaken Pakistan in the number of operational nuclear warheads, according to the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), marking a significant shift in South Asia’s strategic balance.

In a major breakthrough for Malaysia’s air combat capabilities, the United States has formally approved the transfer of used F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets from the Kuwait Air Force to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), significantly advancing a long-anticipated defence deal between Kuala Lumpur and Kuwait.

In an explosive and deeply consequential claim, a senior member of Iran’s National Security Council has stated that Pakistan would retaliate with nuclear weapons against Israel if the latter were to launch a nuclear strike on Iran.

China has declared a significant advancement in its military radar technology, claiming that its J-20 "Mighty Dragon" stealth fighter can now detect enemy aircraft at three times its previous range, following the integration of domestically developed silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor components.

Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier has forcefully denied Pakistan’s assertion that its air force shot down three Indian Rafale fighter jets during the recent Operation Sindoor conflict, branding the widely-circulated claim as “inaccurate.”

Malaysia’s beleaguered Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme, long regarded as the nation’s most controversial defence acquisition, has reached a key turning point with 72.43 per cent overall progress recorded across all five warships, marking a pivotal milestone in a project once feared beyond recovery.

In the aftermath of its most intense military standoff with Pakistan in recent years, India is reportedly preparing to acquire one or two additional squadrons of the Russian-built S-400 Triumf air defence system, adding to the five squadrons previously ordered under a landmark US$5.4 billion deal.

Pakistan’s military has reportedly secured what experts are calling a "clear-cut victory" over India, following the successful shootdown of multiple Indian Air Force (IAF) warplanes—including at least one French-built Rafale—during a large-scale Indian aerial assault on May 7.

China’s J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighter jet is rapidly emerging not just as a new-generation warplane, but as a key enabler of China’s vision of future warfare—one designed to be deployed in large numbers and to lead from the front as a battlefield “point guard.”

Japan has officially entered the high-stakes global race to power India’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), offering its next-generation IHI XF9-1 turbofan engine—a move that could profoundly reshape Asia’s future aerial battlefield.

In a move that could irreversibly alter the strategic calculus of South Asia, Pakistan is reported to be in early-stage negotiations with China to acquire advanced hypersonic missile technology, specifically the DF-17 system integrated with the DF-ZF Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV).