From JF-17 Hype To PHL-81 Failure: Why Chinese Defence Credibility Is Being Questioned

Pakistan: Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir has signed the deal for China's JF-17 Thunder fighter planes with Libya, but the situation shows a different picture. Questions are constantly being raised on the performance of the Chinese weapons on which Pakistan is relying. The latest incident came from the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, where a Chinese rocket system exploded and Cambodian soldiers were killed.

What happened in the Thailand-Cambodia clash?

A video spread on social media, in which Cambodian soldiers were firing from a Chinese-made Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). After firing a few rockets, the system exploded and caught fire. Cambodia uses China's PHL-81 system, which is believed to be a copy of the Soviet Union's BM-21 Grad. About eight soldiers were killed in this accident, due to which questions again arose about how reliable China's defense technology is.

ANOTHER FAILURE OF CHINESE TECH

Chinese MLRS explodes during firing in the Cambodia–Thailand war

Chinese technology 👀pic.twitter.com/nkYk823uIy

— Frontalforce 🇮🇳 (@FrontalForce) December 25, 2025

Why did doubt increase on the PHL-81 system?

This system is based on the model of Russia in the 80s. The claim was that it has been upgraded according to modern requirements, but the burst itself during firing leaves questions. Before the war, Cambodia had warned that if tensions increased, they would use this rocket system. But its performance on the ground was rather embarrassing.

What story did Pakistan tell to Libya?

While selling the JF-17 to Libya, General Asim Munir claimed that this aircraft had downed India's Rafale and Sukhoi in Operation Sindoor. The problem is that to date Pakistan has provided neither any evidence nor any debris nor any official photograph. For this reason, the world's military experts have been skeptical about these claims since day one.

Why did Chinese technology fail in Operation Sindoor?

At the time of India's air strikes, Pakistan had deployed Chinese air defense systems like HQ-9 and LY-80. But these systems proved unsuccessful even in detecting Indian missiles. They were not even aware of the entry of the BrahMos missile. This system proved to be weak on only three fronts—interception, tracking, and detection.

Why are questions increasing on China's weapons?

• Repeated failures in field tests
• unsuccessful performance during the war
• Techniques based on copying or re-engineering
• Lack of transparency in claims of officers and manufacturers

Due to these reasons, many countries have now started thinking twice before buying Chinese weapons.