Spike in Turkish military flights to Pak between Aug 19-21 raise eyebrows in India
Indian defense analysts are concerned by a surge in Turkish military transport flights to Pakistan following a new tripartite defense agreement between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. There is speculation that the flights may be delivering advanced military hardware and drones.
Why it matters
The potential military buildup suggests a shift in regional power dynamics and increased security risks for India along its borders.
NEW DELHI: An unusual increase in Turkish military transport flights to Pakistan in the last few days has raised hackles in Indian defence circles.Open-source flight trackers noted a 60-hour surge of Turkish military transport flights, including Turkish C-130 Hercules and A400M aircraft (such as one with call sign TUAF526), landing at Pakistani air bases like Nur Khan, Masroor, and Murid between August 19 and 21.There is speculation in defence circles that the flights may have carried Turkish military hardware, including unmanned aerial systems (drones) and air-defence equipment like Baykar (next-generation kamikaze UAV K2) and Asisguard systems (drone systems) to Pakistan. The aircraft movements were seen soon after after the signing of the tripartite Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia on Aug 7.
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