SOURCE: AFI

On May 20, 2025, a post by Tom Cooper on X highlighted a heated debate stemming from alleged claims by Pakistani academics regarding the Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 aircraft. The claim suggested that a video showing a Pakistan Air Force JF-17C being shot down on May 7 couldn’t depict a JF-17 because its nose was black, implying the IAF Mirage 2000s have “black radomes.” Cooper’s detailed response dismantles this argument, exposing the misinformation and lack of research behind it. This article explores the controversy, the technical inaccuracies, and the broader implications of such claims.

The controversy originates from a supposed video of a Pakistan Air Force JF-17C being shot down, which some Pakistani academics challenged based on the aircraft’s nose color. They argued that the black nose in the video couldn’t belong to a JF-17C, as IAF Mirage 2000s are the ones with black radomes. This claim, as Cooper points out, reflects a misunderstanding of aircraft design, color profiles, and operational history.

SOURCE: AFI

In a significant demonstration of India’s growing air defense capabilities, the indigenously developed Akash Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SRSAM) system has successfully shot down a Fatah-1 missile, a short-range guided artillery rocket system produced by Pakistan. The Indian Air Force (IAF) recently showcased the debris of the intercepted Fatah-1 missile alongside the Akash Air Defense System (ADS), highlighting the system’s effectiveness against low-altitude, high-speed threats. This achievement underscores the Akash Mk1’s role as a cornerstone of India’s air defense network and its ability to counter evolving regional threats.

The Fatah-1, developed by Pakistan’s National Development Complex (NDC), is a short-range guided artillery rocket system with a reported range of 140 km. Launched from a multi-tube rocket system, the Fatah-1 is designed to deliver precision strikes against ground targets, equipped with a 150 kg high-explosive warhead. Its guided nature, likely using inertial navigation with GPS correction, allows for improved accuracy over unguided rockets, posing a challenge to air defense systems due to its high speed and low-altitude flight profile. The missile’s small radar cross-section (RCS) and potential for salvo launches make it a credible threat to forward-deployed military assets.

SOURCE: AFI

In a striking demonstration of its air defense prowess, the Indian Army recently showcased fragments and debris of the Pakistani Hatf-I (also known as Hataf-1) battlefield missile, intercepted during a recent escalation along the border. This short-range, solid-fueled ballistic missile, developed by Pakistan, was neutralized by India’s advanced air defense systems, underscoring the nation’s ability to counter such threats effectively. The display of the Hatf-I debris, alongside other intercepted Pakistani and Chinese-origin munitions, highlights the Indian Armed Forces’ readiness to defend critical assets and civilian areas against a range of aerial threats.

The Hatf-I, designated as Target-1 (from the Urdu word “Hatf,” meaning “vengeance” or “deadly”), is a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) in collaboration with the Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL). First revealed in 1989 and believed to have entered service with the Pakistan Army in 1992, the Hatf-I was designed as a battlefield weapon to counter India’s conventional military superiority, particularly in response to India’s Prithvi missile program.

SOURCE: AFI

In a series of meticulously executed missile strikes during Operation Sindoor from May 7 to May 10, 2025, the Indian Air Force (IAF) demonstrated its capability to disable the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on the ground, delivering a significant blow to Pakistan’s military ambitions. By targeting and damaging key airbase runways across Pakistan, including Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab, and Mushaf in Sargodha, the IAF has effectively grounded a substantial portion of PAF’s operational capacity.

This operation not only highlights India’s growing precision-strike capabilities but also exposes the vulnerabilities of Pakistan’s heavily indebted military expansion, which has relied on massive loans to procure Chinese fighter jets and air defense systems.

SOURCE: AFI

China’s military modernization has taken a significant leap with the development of the Shuiqiao-class amphibious platforms, aptly named “water bridges” (??), designed to bolster the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) capabilities for a potential invasion of Taiwan. These modular, self-propelled landing platform utility (LPU) barges, observed in exercises near Zhanjiang, Guangdong, in early 2025, are engineered to deploy heavy vehicles and troops across Taiwan’s challenging coastlines, bypassing traditional port dependencies.

As China accelerates its preparations for a possible cross-strait operation by 2027, in line with Xi Jinping’s centennial military goals, India faces a strategic dilemma: could this be an opportune moment to reclaim territories lost to China since 1947, such as Aksai Chin, thereby forcing the PLA into a two-front war? This article explores the Shuiqiao barges’ capabilities, their role in a Taiwan invasion scenario, and the feasibility and risks of India exploiting China’s preoccupation to pursue territorial objectives in the Himalayas.