By Al-Fassel | 2024-07-22

Unreliable performance and low quality have plagued Chinese military equipment, resulting in a diminished reputation in the global market.

The volume of Chinese major arms exports declined by 7.8% between 2016 and 2020, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks arms sales.

As a result, China's market share of arms exports contracted from 5.6% to 5.2%.

The reputation of Chinese equipment has suffered in recent years following numerous documented equipment failures and malfunctions.

For example, Chinese-made F-22P frigates sold to Pakistan from 2009 to 2013 were riddled with issues that rendered them unable to fire missiles. Their IR17 infrared sensor systems and SR60 radars were defective, degrading the ability of the ship to detect threats and lock onto targets.

In addition, the main diesel engines that powered the frigates suffered from low engine speed as well as deterioration of critical components.

Algeria's fleet of Chinese CH-4 unmanned aerial vehicles reported numerous crashes in 2020-2021 during testing with the Algerian military.

Bangladesh reported problems with two of a seven-strong batch of Chinese-made K8-W light training aircraft following their delivery in October 2020. The aircraft reportedly had trouble firing ammunition.

Nigeria experienced significant problems with Chinese-made F-7 aircraft, losing three of its 12 F-7s in crashes that reduced the F-7 fleet by a quarter within less than a decade of its acquisition. In 2020, it sent seven of the nine remaining aircraft back to China for extensive maintenance.

Meanwhile, as of January, Burma has abandoned using the JF-17 Thunder, the product of a collaboration between China and Pakistan, after structural defects including cracks in the airframe and technical malfunctions occurred.

Technical failure

Customers of Chinese military equipment have faced a variety of shortcomings, including Chinese manufacturers' attitude of "little accountability for maintenance and repair," according to a RAND report published in June 2023.

Customers' military modernization and processes suffer with the difficulty of obtaining spare parts and limited technical support, it noted.

Native defense industries within many nations looking to buy more affordable equipment are not able to provide the necessary spare parts or repairs, leaving Beijing's defense customers in the lurch.

China's equipment and systems are inexpensive; however, the cost savings associated with buying them do not last long as defective equipment demands expensive maintenance and repair.

Beijing's declining market share of global arms exports indicates that these issues may be having real impacts on demand for Chinese weapons and systems.