A Chinese J-10 fighter is firing rockets; Pakistan too uses the same type of aircraft. (image credit: Chinese military)
Pakistan has carried out multiple air strikes inside Afghanistan over the years in what they claim are punitive strikes. A recent strike has claimed the lives of nearly 30 individuals on June 29. These strikes are often carried out in response to attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. These operations have relied on a mix of imported and domestically developed precision-guided munitions. The bombs used highlight Pakistan’s efforts to modernise its strike capability and extend the reach of its air force against an adversary that is not equipped with air defence weapons. Many of these air strikes are carried by precision weapons that give the attackers the added safety margin of distance, while the Taliban have repeatedly accused the Pakistanis of attacking civilians. One of the deadliest of these strikes hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, which claimed the lives of over 400 individuals.
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)
This is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or “dumb bombs”, into precision-guided weapons. JDAM-equipped bombs can be guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, giving them a published range of up to 28 km. JDAM kit can be clipped on to Mark-80 series of bombs, that have a weight range from 500 to 2,000 pounds. Only the F-16 in Pakistani service can drop this bomb.
Takbir
This is a range-extension weapons-guidance kit that is intended to convert the unguided ordnance 500 pound class bomb into all-weather precision-guided munition, with a range of 60 km. This bomb kit uses inertial guidance and GPS for guidance. These bombs are compatible with the JF-17 fighters of the Pakistani Air Force. This domestically produced kit is produced by Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS), a stat owned defence firm..
Al Battaar
This is the first precision weapon developed by Pakistan. This laser guided weapons kit with a range of less than 15km can be affixed to 500 and 1,000 kg bombs. These heavy hitters can be deployed by JF-17 fighters.
H-4 & H-2 Stand-Off Weapons
This glide bomb is capable of striking targets using an infrared homing seeker, that is produced domestically. The H-4 has an advertised range of 120 km, while the H-2 boasts of a max range of 60 km.
Léi Shí (Thunder Stone)
This is a series of satellite and laser guided munition has been developed by a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China. This guidance kit that can modify existing unguided bomb into guided standoff munition, this kit can be fitted on bombs weighing up to 500kg. These bombs can be deployed from the JF-17 and the J-10.
Fei Teng (Soaring)
This is a series of precision-guided munitions developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, this series of guided weapons use inertial navigation and satellite guidance. This series of bombs can be employed from J-10, as well as the JF-17.Pakistan’s strikes in Afghanistan have relied on a diverse selection of precision-guided arsenal, ranging from American JDAM kits to indigenous designs such as the Takbir and Al Battaar, as well as Chinese-developed systems. These precision weapons have been used by Pakistan to strike Afghanistan from the safety of the air, as the Taliban lacks the ability to defend against air attacks.
