According to the IAF chief, thanks to the Russian S-400, India managed to shoot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one sizable aircraft during Operation Sindoor.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has made headlines recently, with Air Chief Marshal A P Singh announcing on Saturday that they successfully took down “at least” five Pakistani fighter jets along with “one large aircraft” during Operation Sindoor back in May. This marks the first time in three months that a senior officer has provided specific numbers regarding the losses incurred by Pakistan, despite India frequently discussing the situation. “We’ve confirmed the downing of at least five fighters and one large aircraft, which could either be an ELINT or an AEW&C aircraft. This was taken out from a distance of about 300 kilometers, marking the largest surface-to-air kill on record,” the IAF Chief shared during his keynote address at the 16th Air Chief Marshal L M Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru. He emphasized that the operation's success was largely due to strong political will, noting that the defense forces received “very clear directions” without any imposed restrictions. While he didn’t specify which Pakistani jets were lost, initial assessments indicated that no F-16s were shot down in the air. Discussing the extent of Pakistan’s losses, the IAF Chief mentioned significant damage to the Shahbaz Jacobabad airfield. “There’s an F-16 hangar there, and one half of it is completely gone. I’m sure some aircraft inside were damaged. We also managed to hit at least two command and control centers, like Murid and Chaklala,” he explained, referring to the captured images. He added, “We’ve taken out at least six radars, some large and some small… We have indications of at least one AEW&C in that hangar in Bholari, along with a few F-16s that were undergoing maintenance.” He praised the Indian air defense systems, highlighting the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, which was recently acquired, calling it “a game changer.” He explained that the S-400's kill range kept their aircraft at bay, preventing them from getting within the maximum distance needed to use their long-range air-to-ground weapons, like those impressive glide bombs. He also pointed out that Pakistan couldn't utilize these weapons effectively because they couldn't breach the system.

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