India shot down six of Pakistan’s military aircraft in May, air force chief says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said at an event in Bengaluru that Pakistani aircraft had been downed by surface-to-air missiles in May 7-10 fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
- India claims its forces downed five Pakistani fighter jets and one military aircraft in May, using the S-400 missile system, citing electronic data.
- Pakistan's defence minister denies any Pakistani aircraft were hit, accusing India of dishonesty and political posturing, suggesting independent verification.
- Conflicting claims remain, with Pakistan asserting it shot down six Indian planes, including a Rafale, and US officials unaware of damaged F-16s.
AI generated
NEW DELHI - India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during clashes in May, India’s air force chief said on Aug 9, in the first such public claim by the country after its worst military conflict in decades with its neighbour.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Mr Khawaja Muhammad Asif, rejected the statement, saying India had not hit or destroyed a single Pakistani aircraft.
At an event in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, Indian Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said most of the Pakistani aircraft were downed by India’s Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system.
He cited electronic tracking data as confirmation of the strikes.
“We have at least five fighters confirmed killed, and one large aircraft,” he said, adding that the large aircraft, which could be a surveillance plane, was shot down at a distance of 300km.
“This is actually the largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill,” he said, prompting applause from the crowd that included serving air force officers, veterans, and government and industry officials.
Air Chief Marshal Singh did not mention the type of fighter jets that were downed, but said that airstrikes also hit an additional surveillance plane and “a few F-16” fighters that were parked in hangars at two air bases in southeastern Pakistan.
In a post on X, Pakistan’s defence minister accused India of dishonesty.
“If the truth is in question, let both sides open their aircraft inventories to independent verification - though we suspect this would lay bare the reality India seeks to obscure,” he said.
“Such comical narratives, crafted for domestic political expediency, increase the grave risks of strategic miscalculation in a nuclearised environment.”
Islamabad - whose air force primarily operates Chinese-made jets and US F-16s - has previously denied that India downed any Pakistani aircraft during the May 7-10 fighting
US officials have told Reuters previously that they were not aware any US-made F-16 planes inside Pakistan had been hit.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond for a request for comment on Aug 9.
Pakistan has claimed that it shot down six Indian aircraft during the clashes, including a French-made Rafale fighter.
India has acknowledged some losses
France’s air chief, General Jerome Bellanger, has previously said that he has seen evidence of the loss of three Indian fighters, including a Rafale.
The Indian Air Force has not commented on the claims. REUTERS
