Indian defence commentator Pravin Sawhney has warned that New Delhi lacks an answer to Pakistan’s expected induction of China’s DF-17.
Hypersonic missile, arguing the new weapon tilts the regional balance and exposes gaps in India’s air-defence plans.
DF-17 hypersonic missile seen as game-changer for Pakistan
Speaking in a YouTube analysis titled “India Cannot Handle Pakistan’s Latest DF17 Hypersonic Missile,” Sawhney said Beijing is ready to supply the DF-17—equipped with glide vehicles capable of manoeuvring at Mach-5 plus speeds—while India scrambles to find counter-measures.
He called the Chinese system “a threat for which we have no answer,” adding that New Delhi’s best hope is to fast-track acquisition of Russia’s S-500 air-defence complex.
Sawhney linked the danger to lessons from the recent “Operation Sindoor” air exchange with Pakistan.
He argued the episode revealed limitations in India’s Air Force and lowered the threshold for conventional war, with both sides now openly discussing missile strikes.
Pakistan, he said, will re-arm faster because China supplies weapons “at half price, perhaps even free,” whereas India faces lengthy procurement cycles and an “erratic” relationship with the United States.
The analyst also noted that Pakistan has raised its defence budget by 20 percent and that China’s BeiDou satellite network—larger and newer than GPS—gives Islamabad precise targeting data in real time.
