To plug the gaps in air defences exposed on both sides in the 2019 conflict, India secured Russia's battle-tested S-400, a mobile anti-aircraft missile system. Pakistan obtained the HQ-9 from China, which is based on Russia’s S-300, one notch down.

The Pakistani military has conducted a long-range missile test amid rising tensions with India. The two countries are on the brink of war following an attack by militants on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region,