Did China aid Pakistan with air defence and satellite intel during India clash? Indian think tank warns of two-front war

China may have played a more direct role in Pakistan’s recent military clash with India than previously acknowledged, according to a top Indian defence research organisation. A new assessment by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), a think tank affiliated with India’s Ministry of Defence, claims that Beijing provided Islamabad with air defence and satellite intelligence support during the recent hostilities.

Chinese Logistical and Intelligence Support to Pakistan

Ashok Kumar, Director General at the New Delhi-based Centre For Joint Warfare Studies, said in an interview that China assisted Pakistan in adjusting its satellite coverage over India in the two weeks between the April 22 massacre in Pahalgam — in which 26 Indian tourists were killed — and the active military operations under Operation Sindoor.

“It helped them to redeploy their air defence radar so that any actions which we do from the aerial route is known to them,” Kumar said during the interview conducted at the think tank’s headquarters in New Delhi.

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While the Indian government has not yet officially confirmed Chinese involvement, and Pakistan has already acknowledged the use of Chinese-supplied weapons, the new claims suggest deeper strategic cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad.

The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies is a prominent think tank that focuses on the modernisation and integration of India’s armed forces. Though independent, it has an advisory board that includes Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the country’s top military commander, and the chiefs of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Worst India-Pakistan Clash in 50 Years

The conflict, described as the worst between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in half a century, involved a wide range of military engagement — from air strikes and drone warfare to missile attacks, artillery shelling, and small arms clashes along the contested border.

India blamed the April 22 attack on Pakistan, calling it a terrorist act. Pakistan, however, denied any involvement.

The global community paid close attention, with then-US President Donald Trump claiming credit for brokering a ceasefire beginning May 10. This drew sharp criticism from New Delhi, which insisted the truce had been arranged bilaterally.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister announced the ceasefire would extend through Sunday, while India’s military confirmed it was pursuing confidence-building measures with its neighbour.

China Allegedly Tested Military Systems in Conflict

Kumar claimed that China used the conflict to test some of its military hardware, but added that its performance was underwhelming.

“It failed miserably,” he said, referencing an Indian military assessment but providing no further details.

India, he noted, successfully countered Pakistan’s deployment of hundreds of drones thanks to its integrated sensor network, which he said gave the Indian military a “strategic edge.”

Kumar did not elaborate on the performance of China’s J-IOC fighter or comment on Pakistan’s claim of shooting down Indian aircraft.

India Prepares for Two-Front Conflict Scenario

Kumar stressed that India’s defence planning has now evolved to accommodate the possibility of a two-front war involving both China and Pakistan.

“India now factors in a two-front situation in almost all its calculations,” he said. “Anything which is with China today can be deemed to be with Pakistan tomorrow.”

He added that while China is unlikely to directly intervene on Pakistan’s behalf unless a situation becomes “critical,” Pakistan is expected to support China in any future confrontation with India.

China has been a close ally of Pakistan since the Cold War and has invested heavily in the country through its Belt and Road Initiative. India, meanwhile, has significantly increased its military presence along the China border since a deadly 2020 clash in which 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese troops were killed.

Despite some efforts at normalising India-China ties in the months before the recent conflict, the latest revelations suggest that strategic tensions in the region remain dangerously high.