In an explosive revelation, Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal AP Singh said on Saturday that five fighter jets and an AWACS aircraft of Pakistan were shot down during the Operation Sindoor. This is the first time the IAF has made an official statement regarding the loss of aircraft by Pakistan in India’s strikes.
Addressing the 16th Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru, Air Marshal AP Singh said that five Pakistani fighter jets and one Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft were confirmed to be shot down by the S-400 missile defence system. Additionally, a few American F-16 fighter jets and a large aircraft, probably another AWACS, were destroyed in the ground in India’s airstrikes on Pakistani airbases.
He said that the aircraft hit on ground were undergoing maintenance, and they were destroyed after India targeted the hangers in Pakistani air bases. The IAF chief added that the Pakistani air bases were hit from a distance of over 300 kms, saying it is one of the farthest air-to-surface hit.
Air Marshal AP Singh’s comments make it clear that multiple American fighter jets of Pakistani Air Force were destroyed in the brief conflict. While he didn’t disclose the identity of the 5 fighter jets hit in the air, he said that ‘a few’ F-16 jets under maintenance were hit on the ground.
The IAF chief showed before and after satellite images of the terror camps and army bases in Pakistan targeted by India during Operation Sindoor. He emphasised how the airstrikes were precise, as the images show that the adjacent buildings and structures were not damaged in the missile attacks.
Air Marshal AP Singh said that India targeted only terror bases in Pakistan, and there were no plans to go after Pakistani defence establishments. But Pakistan attacked India using missiles, drones, loitering munnions etc on 8th and 9th May. He said that many of the Pakistani drones were unarmed, sent only to saturate Indian air defence system. But India was able to successfully intercept most of the airstrikes, and not a single target in India was hit.
AP Singh called the Russian S-400 system a game changer, adding that Indian forces were ready with sufficient defence systems to intercept Pakistani attack. He also mentioned that indigenous Akash defence system was highly successful, and not a single Pakistani missile could come near it.
As announced earlier, the IAF also said several radar stations were hit by India.
