New Delhi: Once a weapon fails to create its impact, its value drops to dust in the world of warfare. And that is exactly what happened when Pakistan deployed two of its most powerful foreign weapons against India only to watch them fail catastrophically.
During its latest clash with India, Pakistan launched China’s cutting-edge PL-15 missile and Turkey’s hyped Bayraktar TB2 drones. But India did not only defend itself, it flipped the script.
Touted as one of the most advanced in Beijing’s arsenal, PL-15 air-to-air missile was intercepted intact by Indian forces. That wreckage is now a geopolitical prize.
Countries like the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan and Australia are reportedly lining up to study the missile’s tech. Sources suggest India may have already handed it over to Japan for analysis, effectively exposing China’s deadliest missile to the world.
In what can only be described as a humiliating defeat for Turkish defense exports, Pakistan’s use of Bayraktar TB2 drones during ‘Operation Sindoor’ turned into a disaster.
India’s indigenous ‘Akashtir’ air defense system shot down every single drone with 100% accuracy, including Bayraktar TB2s, Byker YIHA III kamikaze drones, Songatri and eYatri loitering munitions.
“Not a single drone reached its target,” confirmed a senior Indian Air Force officer to The Times of India.
Developed by the Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), Akashtir is being hailed as India’s version of Israel’s Iron Dome but potentially even better suited for low-altitude drone warfare.
It integrates seamlessly with India’s existing radar and weapons systems, detects threats autonomously and assigns weapons in real time. Against Pakistan’s swarm drone strategy, it proved deadly effective.
A defense official said, “Akashtir did not roar or flash, it simply calculated, executed and destroyed. Quiet precision was its loudest weapon.”
The failure of Turkish drones has shaken the foundations of President Erdogan’s defense ambitions. For years, he touted the Bayraktar as a symbol of Islamic military resurgence and Turkish innovation.
But India’s clean takedown has now put Turkey’s global drone deals – from Africa to the Middle East – in jeopardy. Reports suggest Pakistan may cancel future orders, and countries fearing Turkish drones may now turn to India’s Akashtir instead.
Even Turkish defense insiders are rattled. Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute bluntly stated, “Erdogan can sell anything – religion, weapons or dreams – to enrich his family. But the product is junk now. Baykar stopped innovating the moment it felt safe under government backing.”
Pakistan had banked on hundreds of Turkish drones to breach Indian air defenses. But after this spectacular failure, the Islamabad-Ankara arms axis is in crisis. Sources say Turkey’s aim was to use these drones to cover artillery and fighter jets, but India’s integrated air defense systems, including L70 guns and Akashtir radars, ensured the drones never even got close.
The skies over the LoC are now littered with the wreckage of over 400 Turkish drones – a dramatic symbol of India’s superiority in air defense.
What’s Next for India and Turkey?
Turkey is scrambling to save face. Meanwhile, India is planning to triple its investment in drone technology over the next two years. Akashtir’s success is being closely watched by nations facing drone threats, and new export deals could soon be on the table for India.
Back in Pakistan, the military is rebuilding its airfields, but the damage is done. The defeat is too big to hide and too costly to ignore.
India did not just win a battle. It exposed China’s missile secrets, destroyed Turkey’s drone credibility and put Pakistan’s war doctrine in disarray.
In the world of defense tech, perception is power and right now, India holds the high ground.