SOURCE: AFI
In a significant escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed that Pakistan launched an unprecedented 300-400 Turkish-made SONGAR drones in a coordinated attempt to infiltrate Indian airspace across 36 locations, stretching from Leh in Ladakh to Sir Creek in Gujarat, on the night of May 8-9, 2025. The Indian Armed Forces, leveraging advanced air defense systems, including the S-400 and SAMAR platforms, successfully neutralized the majority of these threats, marking a decisive response to Pakistan’s aggressive maneuver.
According to official statements and posts on X, Pakistan deployed approximately 300-400 SONGAR drones, manufactured by Turkey’s AS?SGUARD, in a large-scale operation targeting Indian military installations along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border. The drones, identified as Turkish-origin by Indian defense officials, were launched across a 1,800-km stretch of Indian territory, from the high-altitude regions of Leh to the coastal marshes of Sir Creek.
The SONGAR drone, a sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is equipped with a machine gun capable of firing NATO-class 5.56x45mm rounds and has a 3-km operational range. Designed for low-intensity conflicts, it features advanced sensors, night vision capabilities, and autonomous mission modes, making it a formidable tool for reconnaissance and attack. Pakistan, which has bolstered its drone capabilities with Turkish and Chinese systems, reportedly used these drones to target military infrastructure, possibly aiming to disrupt Indian defenses following India’s Operation Sindoor, a precision strike on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Col Sofiya Qureshi, cited in X posts, reported that Pakistan exploited commercial airspace, potentially using international flights as human shields to mask the drone swarm. Debris from the downed drones is currently under analysis to confirm their specifications and origin.
India’s Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grid and Air Defence systems sprang into action, neutralizing the drone swarm with a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic countermeasures. The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed its Russian-origin S-400 air defense system, capable of tracking and destroying targets up to 400 km away, to intercept the incoming threats. The indigenously developed SAMAR (Surface-to-Air Missile for Assured Retaliation) system, recently proven battle-ready, also played a critical role in countering the drones.
The Indian Army’s air defense units, operating in key areas such as Udhampur, Samba, Jammu, Akhnoor, Nagrota, and Pathankot, utilized L-70 guns, Zu-23mm cannons, Schilka systems, and advanced counter-UAS technologies to down over 50 drones in a large-scale operation. In Gujarat’s Sir Creek region, three of six spotted drones were neutralized, with searches ongoing for the remaining three. No casualties or material losses were reported on the Indian side, underscoring the effectiveness of India’s multi-layered defense strategy.
The Ministry of Defence stated, “On the night of 8–9 May 2025, Pakistan carried out large-scale violations of Indian airspace, attempting to target military infrastructure with 300–400 drones across 36 locations from Leh to Sir Creek. Indian forces neutralized many using kinetic and non-kinetic means.”
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