ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s local defence production industry has made great stride by producing hardware worth $1.5 billion per year.
According to Jane’s Defence Weekly quoting an unnamed source that Pakistan had substituted equipment imports worth $1.5 billion per annum by local production.
However, it is pertinent to note that the government has also had a role to play in boosting local defence hardware sales by granting the local industry the first right of refusal. With this, local buyers are directed to prefer local products over imports.
The major manufacturers involved in local hardware production include the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, the Heavy Industries Taxila and Pakistan Ordnance Factories. The JF-17 fighter jet and the Mushak aircrafts are some of the military hardware produced locally and are worth a billion dollars per annum.
HIT are also engaged in the building of tanks like Al Khalid and Al Zarrar while weaponry like arms and ammunition are made by the POFs.
While local manufacturing has found support at home, our military hardware producers haven’t been so successful in the international market and finding buyers isn’t easy.
“For years officials have hoped a major export order for one of these would put the country on the list of the world’s emerging arms exporters,” stated the weekly.
