A new Lens Asia report reveals mounting global distrust in Chinese weapons due to poor quality, frequent malfunctions, and weak after-sales support, citing major failures in Pakistan’s F-22P frigates, JF-17 fighters, and Saudi Arabia’s SkyShield system.
The global reputation of Chinese military hardware has taken a severe hit as multiple export failures expose persistent flaws in quality, maintenance, and reliability. A new report from Dhaka-based Lens Asia highlights that poor workmanship, chronic corruption, and hasty production practices have led to repeated malfunctions in Chinese-built defence platforms, raising doubts about Beijing’s ambitions to dominate the global arms market.
Despite being the fourth-largest defence exporter—behind the United States, Russia, and France—China’s defence industry is struggling to sustain credibility among its international buyers. The report identifies frequent breakdowns in Pakistan’s F-22P frigates, technical issues in JF-17 fighter jets, and operational failures of the SkyShield laser system in desert environments as key examples of the declining trust in Chinese weapon systems.
Corruption, Poor Industrial Base, and Propaganda-Driven Production
The Lens Asia report attributes the falling quality of Chinese defence equipment to a series of systemic flaws within China’s military-industrial complex.
“Root causes are multiple and interacting,” the report notes. “China suffers from chronic corruption, as evident from President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-graft purges targeting senior officers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).”
It further states that China’s uneven industrial base, gaps in precision engineering, and shortcomings in maintenance and logistics have severely constrained its ability to produce high-quality, durable systems. The rush to showcase “modern” capabilities for political propaganda—rather than genuine operational performance—has only deepened the problem.
Defence analysts warn that these weaknesses could slow the PLA’s modernization drive, making China’s lofty military ambitions harder to achieve.
Pakistan’s Costly Experience with F-22P Frigates
One of the most striking examples of Chinese defence shortcomings involves Pakistan’s F-22P frigates, co-produced with China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. Reports from Pakistani naval sources and defence experts reveal repeated radar and propulsion issues, including degraded radar performance during high-power transmissions and severe engine overheating.
Chinese manufacturers reportedly admitted that faulty Gimbal Assembly motors were the root cause of some malfunctions, yet these defects remain unrepaired. As a result, Pakistan’s Navy has been forced to operate all four frigates with compromised combat capability, endangering key maritime operations.
“The frigates were intended to boost Pakistan’s naval deterrence and surveillance capacity,” the Lens Asia report said. “However, faulty critical components and inadequate after-sales support from Chinese suppliers have jeopardized their mission objectives.”
Export Failures Spread Beyond Pakistan
China’s export woes extend far beyond South Asia. Media reports from Myanmar, Nigeria, and other JF-17 operators indicate widespread issues with the fighter jet’s structural durability, mission-computer reliability, and vibration problems. Several air forces have temporarily grounded their JF-17 fleets due to unsafe performance.
Nigeria’s Air Force reportedly cited poor accuracy and low payload capacity as key reasons for moving to Italian M-346FA fighter jets, a shift that underscores growing international reluctance to rely on Chinese military technology.
Saudi Arabia’s SkyShield Laser System Fails in Real Conditions
In another setback, China’s SkyShield laser-based counter-drone system, supplied to Saudi Arabia, has reportedly underperformed in desert conditions. Defence outlets note that while the system performed adequately during controlled tests, it struggled to maintain accuracy and power output in real operational environments.
“The SkyShield’s failure in high-temperature, dusty conditions has raised doubts about both the maturity of China’s laser defence technology and the reliability of its performance data,” Lens Asia stated.
After-Sales Support and Spare Parts Remain a Major Concern
Beyond design flaws, customers have voiced frustration over weak after-sales support and poor spare-parts availability, factors that compound the operational unreliability of Chinese arms. Analysts argue that these persistent issues are undermining long-term confidence in Chinese defence exports.
The report concludes that even Chinese military media has implicitly acknowledged these problems by emphasizing the need to “treat equipment quality as life-or-death for soldiers”—a rare admission that the PLA’s own systems suffer from quality control deficiencies.
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As global defence competition intensifies, experts suggest that unless China addresses these deep-rooted structural flaws, its dream of becoming a top-tier military exporter may remain out of reach.
