SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is preparing to release a detailed account of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft shot down during Operation Sindoor, including specific locations, methods of engagement, and irrefutable radar and visual evidence, according to sources who are closer to Indian Defence Research Wing (idrw.org). This forthcoming disclosure aims to counter Pakistan’s history of denying losses, as seen in 2019 when Islamabad rejected claims of an F-16 being downed by an IAF MiG-21 during the Balakot skirmish.
The IAF’s confirmation of multiple PAF jet losses, achieved through a combination of fighter jets and advanced air defense systems (ADS), underscores India’s air superiority and commitment to transparency in the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions.
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). During the operation, the IAF engaged PAF aircraft attempting to breach Indian airspace, resulting in significant losses for Pakistan. Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, confirmed on May 12 that the IAF downed several high-tech PAF jets, with sources indicating at least five aircraft, including one Mirage-5, two JF-17 Thunder jets, one F-16, and possibly a Saab 2000 Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The IAF’s advanced air defense systems, notably the S-400 and Akash SAMs, played a pivotal role in neutralizing these threats, with debris from a 40N6E S-400 missile recovered in Pakistan providing key evidence.
The IAF’s upcoming report will detail the areas of engagement, primarily over Pakistani airspace near the Line of Control (LoC), including regions like Sukkur (Bholari), Bahawalpur, and Muzaffarabad. Satellite imagery from Kawa Space, shared on X, has already revealed a destroyed hangar at PAF Base Bholari, likely struck by a BrahMos air-launched cruise missile, corroborating the loss of the Saab Erieye. The IAF’s Rafale, Su-30MKI, and Mirage 2000 jets, equipped with Meteor and R-77 missiles, engaged PAF aircraft in beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat, while the S-400 and Akash systems targeted jets like the Mirage-5, which lacked modern electronic warfare capabilities. Radar data from the S-400’s sophisticated systems, deployed over Punjab and Jammu, and signals intelligence (SIGINT) will provide conclusive proof of the kills, ensuring Pakistan cannot dismiss the losses as propaganda.
This disclosure addresses Pakistan’s 2019 denial of an F-16 loss, despite IAF evidence like AMRAAM missile fragments and radar data showing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s MiG-21 downing the jet before his own aircraft was hit. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) claimed no losses, but inconsistencies in their statements fueled speculation of a cover-up. The IAF’s current approach aims to prevent such denials by presenting comprehensive evidence, including crash site coordinates, pilot communications, and satellite imagery, similar to the Maxar Technologies images showing damage to PAF bases like Nur Khan and Shahbaz.
Pakistan’s counterclaims of downing five IAF jets—three Rafales, one MiG-29, one Su-30MKI, and a Heron drone but IAF sources emphasized no pilots were lost, and the operation’s success was unaffected.
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