Five Pakistan fighters shot down during Operation Sindoor: IAF chief

10/08/2025

BENGALURU, Aug 9: The Indian Air Force destroyed at least five enemy fighter aircraft and one large airborne surveillance platform, possibly an AWNCA or LNT aircraft, during Operation Sindoor, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, said today.
The Air Chief revealed that the large aircraft was taken down at a range of about 300 kilometres, the longest recorded surface-to-air kill in history.
"This is the largest ever recorded surface-to-air engagement, and it sends a powerful signal about our air defence capabilities," Singh said.
The IAF chief added that several F-16 fighter jets were confirmed to be under maintenance at the time of the strikes, in addition to other aircraft destroyed or damaged on the ground.
"We have at least five fighters confirmed killed. The large aircraft we neutralised was either an electronic intelligence platform or an airborne warning and control system," he explained.
Singh said these achievements were supported by India's advanced air defence systems, including the S-400 platform, which played a key role in detecting and neutralising enemy targets at extended ranges.
According to Singh, the targeting of high-value airborne assets, combined with the elimination of multiple fighters, was aimed at crippling the adversary's operational awareness and reducing its ability to coordinate air operations effectively.
Operation Sindoor was designed to send a clear message that the Indian Air Force can strike deep inside enemy territory at any time, Singh said.
The Air Chief said the mission's objective was not limited to destroying a single target but aimed to stretch enemy resources and create the impression that terrorists are safe nowhere. "That night, we held nothing back. We decided we would attack at multiple points across the front, forcing them to defend several locations simultaneously. The idea was to give them the feeling - or the indication - that we can hit them wherever we want, whenever we want," he explained.
Singh said enemy aircraft did come near the borders, and although they often stayed away, there were occasions when they were within operational range. "That gave us opportunities to engage them," he said, adding that the Indian offensive was planned without restrictions.
Among the key strikes was the attack on the Command and Control Centre at the Noor Khan Air Base. "This was based on specific intelligence. The main planning building, also used at times as a civil terminal, was targeted to disrupt operational planning," he said.
At Sukkur Airbase, the IAF hit the UAV hangar and a radar site, with before-and-after visuals confirming the damage. At Bulari, an AWACS hangar was destroyed, and clear evidence showed that an aircraft was inside during the strike.
Recalling the strike on Sargodha, Singh said, "We had hard intelligence of an F-16 taking off from there. It was a moment we in the Air Force have dreamt of - and I got my chance just before retirement."
The Air Chief underlined that each attack during Operation Sindoor was chosen based on precise intelligence, ensuring that critical assets - from radar installations to aircraft hangars - were neutralised, sending a strong signal about India's offensive reach and readiness.
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh also said the non-availability of images of the damage caused by the Balakot air strike became a "big issue", and people could not be convinced about what was achieved, but during Operation Sindoor, that "ghost of Balakot" was taken care of.
Singh, who was delivering the 16th Air Chief Marshal L M Katre Memorial Lecture here, said the Indian Air Force (IAF) shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and a large aircraft during Operation Sindoor, in the largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill by India. He provided a detailed account of Operation Sindoor with visuals and slides.
"When we did Balakot, we did something similar (to Operation Sindoor)," he said, and added that there were no images available, and it became a big issue.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't tell our own people as to what we have been able to achieve. We had intelligence that there had been huge damage; there were so many terrorists who were neutralised, but we could not convince our own people. But (this time) we were lucky, and we got these videos out in the open," he said.
"I am happy that we could take care of that ghost of Balakot," he asserted.
India carried out air strikes in Balakot, targeting a training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group.
The Indian strikes were in response to a terror attack, carried out in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir by a suicide bomber, resulting in the death of 40 CRPF personnel.

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