SOURCE: AFI
Renowned military historian Tom Cooper has shed light on a critical intelligence blunder by a Pakistani Air Defence officer that contributed to the destruction of a Chinese-made HQ-9 air defense unit during India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025. According to Cooper, the officer’s social media activity inadvertently exposed the location of the HQ-9 battalion in the suburbs of Karachi, allowing Indian forces to geo-locate and target the site with precision, further dismantling Pakistan’s air defense capabilities.
In a detailed analysis shared on his blog on May 11, 2025, Cooper highlighted how a Pakistani Air Defence officer, described as “social media friendly,” posted pictures of himself with the HQ-9 system in the background. The images, reportedly taken in the Hafta Bazaar Ground area of Steel Town, Karachi (coordinates: 24°52’09″N 67°20’20″E), were quickly picked up by Indian intelligence. Using open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques, Indian forces geo-located the site, confirming the presence of the HQ-9 battalion—a long-range surface-to-air missile system intended to protect Karachi’s airspace.
The officer’s post, likely intended to showcase Pakistan’s military capabilities, instead provided India with actionable intelligence. On May 11, 2025, Indian forces launched a drone strike, utilizing Alpha Design-made SkyStriker attack UAVs, which demolished the HQ-9 unit. Cooper noted that the strike was part of a broader Indian operation that targeted three HQ-9 battalions across Pakistan—in Lahore, Gujrat, and Karachi—severely weakening the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) ability to defend its airspace.
The destruction of the HQ-9 unit in Karachi was a key component of India’s Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack. The operation saw the Indian Air Force (IAF) and its supporting units systematically dismantle Pakistani air defenses and military infrastructure. Cooper emphasized that the Karachi strike was not an isolated incident but part of a coordinated effort that included the use of around 160 Israeli-made Harop attack UAVs and additional Warmate drones. The precision and scale of the strikes left Pakistan struggling to respond, with its air defense network collapsing “piece by piece.”
Posts on X from May 20, 2025, echoed Cooper’s findings, with users like @BDUTT
and @OsintUpdates noting that the HQ-9 battalion defending Karachi was hit, further confirming the strike’s impact. However, these social media reports remain inconclusive without official corroboration from Indian or Pakistani authorities.
The HQ-9, a Chinese-supplied system analogous to the Russian S-300, was a cornerstone of Pakistan’s air defense strategy, capable of engaging aircraft and missiles at ranges up to 200 km. Its deployment in Karachi was intended to protect the city’s strategic assets, including military installations and the port. However, the system’s destruction exposed glaring vulnerabilities in Pakistan’s defense apparatus, particularly the lack of operational security among its personnel. Cooper’s analysis suggests that the PAF’s over-reliance on foreign-supplied systems, coupled with poor discipline in the age of social media, made it an easy target for India’s intelligence-driven operations.
Cooper’s revelations also raise questions about the PAF’s operational security protocols. The ease with which a single officer’s social media post led to the loss of a high-value asset underscores the need for stricter oversight in the digital age. As India continues to leverage advanced intelligence and precision strike capabilities, Pakistan may find itself increasingly outmatched in both technology and tradecraft.
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