India’s Deputy Army Chief Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh said on Friday that China and Türkiye provided substantial support to Pakistan during the recent conflict.
Speaking at a high-level defense event organized by FICCI on New Age Military Technologies, the Indian Army Deputy Chief of Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance) said that Turkiye gave Pakistan Bayraktar drones and several other unmanned aerial systems, along with trained individuals on the ground.
He said this support included deployment of drones and military experts. According to Singh, the assistance enabled Pakistan to accurately identify positions of the Indian forces on the ground.
He said the use of advanced drone technology by adversaries added complexity to modern battlefields, further underscoring the need for India to advance its air defense systems.
Singh said that China provided direct intelligence support. The combined Turkish-Chinese assistance, he said, enabled Pakistan to establish an integrated C4ISR system—Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance—enhancing its battlefield awareness and coordination. “That’s why we must immediately develop our own C4ISR systems,” he said.
Explaining the evolving threat landscape, Singh pointed out that India was dealing with three adversaries on one border. “Pakistan was on the front, China was providing all possible support, and Türkiye’s involvement was evident,” he said.
The deputy COAS said that 81% of Pakistan’s military hardware comes from China and China was using Pakistan as a live test lab.
