Neutralising Lahore Radar: Gateway to Islamabad?

Now, when Lahore’s air defence radar system is neutralized, it significantly degrades Pakistan’s ability to detect, track, and respond to aerial intrusions in its eastern airspace, particularly from the direction of India. However, it wouldn't render Islamabad defenseless. Pakistan maintains a layered and redundant air defense network, including mobile and long-range radar systems, surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries, and airborne early warning assets.

 

 

Here's what it means in operational terms:

 

1. Reduced Early Warning Capability

Lahore is geographically positioned close to the Indian border and acts as an early warning post for aerial threats approaching from northern Punjab and parts of Jammu and Kashmir. If its radar system is disabled:

• Pakistani air defence would be partially blinded in that sector.
• India could exploit this radar gap to fly low or fast aircraft undetected deeper into Pakistani airspace.

2. Increased Penetration Window for Indian Aircraft

With Lahore radar offline:

• Indian Air Force (IAF) jets could penetrate Pakistani airspace up to Islamabad or beyond with greater ease, especially using low-level ingress to evade remaining radar coverage.
• This opens the door for precision strikes or standoff weapon launches (like Spice-2000 or BrahMos) with limited interception risk.

3. Degraded Interception Response

Without early detection:

• Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would struggle to scramble fighters in time to intercept incoming threats.
• Coordination between ground-based air defence systems (SAMs, AAA) and PAF jets would be delayed or misdirected.

4. Strategic Implication

Neutralising Lahore’s radar does not mean a clear path to Islamabad without any interception, because:

• Pakistan still has layered air defence, including mobile radars, integrated command-and-control (C2) systems, and additional radar coverage from other nodes (e.g., Sargodha, Chaklala).
• AWACS aircraft or mobile radar units can plug temporary gaps.
• Islamabad, being the capital, likely has robust point-defence systems (e.g., LY-80/HQ-16, AAA, MANPADS).

 

🇵🇰 Pakistan's Air Defense Radar Network: Key Components

 

1. AM-350S AESA Radar

• Type: S-band, 3D AESA radar
• Range: Up to 350 km
• Altitude Coverage: Up to 60,000 ft
• Features: Digital beamforming, frequency agility, side-lobe suppression, and anti-jamming capabilities 

2. YLC-18A Anti-Stealth Radar

• Type: L-band, 3D AESA radar
• Range: Up to 500 km
• Capabilities: Detection of stealth aircraft, cruise missiles, and UAVs Pak Defence

3. TPS-77 MRR Radar

• Type: L-band, 3D AESA radar
• Range: Up to 463 km
• Features: High mobility, low power consumption, and anti-stealth capabilities

4. LY-80/HQ-16 Medium-Range SAM System

• Radar Range: Up to 150 km
• Missile Range: Up to 40 km
• Altitude Coverage: Up to 50,000 ft
• Deployment: Deployed near Lahore to protect critical infrastructure Pak Defence

 

🛡️ Simulation Scenario: Impact of Neutralizing Lahore's Radar

Objective: Assess the feasibility of an Indian Air Force (IAF) strike reaching Islamabad undetected after neutralizing Lahore's radar.

Phase 1: Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)

• Target: AM-350S radar near Lahore
• Method: Use of electronic warfare (EW) assets and precision-guided munitions to disable radar capabilities.Phase 2: Exploiting Radar Gaps

• Action: IAF aircraft exploit the temporary surveillance gap to penetrate Pakistani airspace at low altitudes, minimizing detection.

Phase 3: Engagement of Secondary Defenses

• Challenge: Remaining Pakistani radars (YLC-18A, TPS-77 MRR) and SAM systems (LY-80) may detect and engage intruding aircraft.

Phase 4: Strike on Islamabad

• Feasibility: While possible, the success of such a strike depends on the duration of the radar gap, the responsiveness of Pakistani defenses, and the effectiveness of EW measures.

 

🗺️ Radar Coverage Map Overview

While specific radar coverage maps are classified, the general deployment strategy includes:

• Eastern Front (Lahore Region): Dense radar and SAM coverage due to proximity to India.
• Central Region: Overlapping radar fields from mobile and long-range systems.
• Islamabad: Protected by multiple radar systems and SAM batteries, ensuring layered defense.

 

🧠 Strategic Implications

• Redundancy: Pakistan's air defense network is designed with overlapping coverage to prevent single points of failure.
• Mobility: Mobile radar units can be redeployed to cover gaps swiftly.
• Resilience: Advanced radars like the AM-350S possess anti-jamming features, complicating EW efforts.