India's Air Force Chief confirms six Pakistani aircraft, including five fighters, were shot down in May's Operation Sindoor, marking a significant escalation.
During intense military clashes from May 7-10, India shot down six Pakistani aircraft, including five fighter jets and one large aircraft, likely an airborne early warning and control system (AEW&C), according to Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh.
The engagements, part of Operation Sindoor, were a response to the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, which killed 26 civilians.
Singh, speaking at the 16th Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Lecture in Bengaluru, highlighted the effectiveness of India’s Russian-made S-400 missile system.
The system downed most of the aircraft, including a significant strike at 300 km, described as the largest recorded surface-to-air kill.
The S-400 missile system was a "game-changer," Singh noted, preventing Pakistani aircraft from deploying long-range glide bombs.
Indian airstrikes also targeted airbases in Jacobabad and Bholari, destroying hangars housing U.S.-made F-16 jets and another AEW&C aircraft.
Pakistan has denied losing any aircraft, while claiming to have downed six Indian planes, a claim India partially acknowledges but disputes in scale.
The conflict, which ended with a ceasefire on May 10, saw India strike nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists.
Singh credited the operation’s success to the political leadership’s decision to grant the military full operational freedom.
Satellite imagery and local media provided evidence of the strikes’ impact, addressing past challenges in verifying such actions.
The hostilities underscored the ongoing tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, with both sides reporting significant military engagements.
Pakistan’s military has not yet responded to India’s claims, leaving the full scope of losses and impacts under scrutiny.