SOURCE: AFI
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed that it shot down several high-tech fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory campaign launched on May 7, 2025, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. According to sources cited by idrw.org, Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, stated last month, “We don’t have the wreckage as their (PAF) planes were prevented from entering our airspace. But we have downed a few planes.” The IAF is meticulously analyzing technical data to establish the precise details of these engagements, underscoring India’s air superiority in the conflict.
Sources at idrw.org indicate that the preliminary investigation is complete, and a technical investigation is now underway. Before any citations can be awarded, solid proof is required to confirm which Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets were downed and by what means. This thoroughness is crucial to ensure these records are accurately preserved in historical accounts. The majority of the downed jets have been attributed to the Indian Air Defence system, utilizing units such as Akash, MR-SAM, and S-400.
The IAF’s claims are supported by radar tracks, intercepted communications, and satellite imagery, such as those from Kawa Space showing a destroyed hangar at PAF Base Bholari, likely hit by a BrahMos missile. Sources indicate that the downed PAF jets may include Chinese-origin J-10CE and JF-17 Block III fighters, with additional losses of high-value assets like a Saab 2000 AEW&C and a C-130 transport aircraft. The IAF’s Rafale, Su-30 MKI, and Mirage 2000 jets, armed with Meteor and R-77 missiles, engaged PAF aircraft in beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat, leveraging superior electronic warfare capabilities.
Air Marshal Bharti’s statement aligns with earlier reports from Indian defense officials, who noted that technical analysis of operational data confirmed the destruction of at least six PAF fighter jets, two surveillance aircraft, and over ten unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). However, the lack of physical wreckage, as PAF jets were downed over Pakistani territory, has prompted the IAF to rely on digital evidence, including S-400 radar data and signals intelligence (SIGINT), to validate the kills. This approach aims to counter Pakistan’s history of denying losses, as seen in the 2019 Balakot skirmish when Islamabad rejected claims of an F-16 being downed by an IAF MiG-21.
The IAF’s ongoing analysis of technical details is expected to culminate in a detailed report, as reported by idrw.org, which will include radar and visual evidence, crash site coordinates, and engagement methods. This disclosure aims to provide transparency and counter Pakistan’s propaganda, reinforcing India’s strategic narrative of a successful, calibrated response. The operation’s success, marked by the destruction of terrorist camps and significant PAF assets, has set a new precedent for India’s deterrence posture, signaling a lower threshold for cross-border strikes against terror infrastructure.
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