Downed 5 Pak jets using S-400s, large spy plane shot 300 km away: IAF Chief

In his first remarks on the damage inflicted on Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh today said India shot down five enemy fighter jets and a large aircraft in the strikes conducted over three months ago.

The large aircraft, likely a surveillance plane, was downed at a distance of about 300 km, said the Air Force Chief. He also said the Indian strikes damaged some US-made F-16 fighter jets parked at the Jacobabad air base.

Speaking at the Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Lecture in Bengaluru, the Air Force Chief said, “We have confirmation on the downing of at least five fighter jets and one large aircraft, which could either be an ELINT or an AEW&C aircraft (military names for surveillance planes), brought down at a distance of about 300 km. This is the largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about.”

He also revealed that Pakistani jets were neutralised using missiles from the Russian-made S-400 air defence system, which is capable of detecting and tracking multiple targets some 300 km away and firing a salvo of missiles to destroy them. The IAF had announced on May 11 that it hit 11 Pakistan air bases, but Air Chief Marshal Singh today disclosed that F-16 jets parked at the Jacobabad air base were also targeted. “Jacobabad was one of the major airfields that was attacked. Half of the F-16 hangar there is gone and I’m sure there were some aircraft inside which were damaged,” he said.

The IAF also hit at least two command and control centres—Murid and Chaklala. “At least six radars, some of them big and some small were hit. There is also an indication of at least one hangar for surveillance planes and a few F-16s being damaged,” he said. BrahMos missiles launched from Sukhoi 30-MKI jets were among the weapons deployed.

The Air Force Chief emphasised there were no political restrictions on the operational aspects of Operation Sindoor (May 7-10). “We were allowed a free hand to decide the pace and nature of the strikes. The presence of political will was a significant contributor to the operation’s success. There were no restrictions and the directions were very clear. If there were any constraints, they were self-imposed,” he said.

The IAF Chief’s remarks appear to counter the speculation stemming from the recent comments of India’s Defence Attaché to Indonesia Captain Shiv Kumar, who said that “some fighter jets were lost to Pakistan in the early hours of May 7 due to political constraints that limited the operation to the targeting of terror camps alone”.

Responding to Pakistan’s claim of having downed six IAF aircraft, Captain Kumar had said at an event in Indonesia that he “may not agree that India lost so many aircraft”. “But I do agree we lost some aircraft and that happened only because of the political constraints on not attacking the (Pakistan’s) military establishments and their air defences,” he said.

However, setting the record straight, the IAF Chief said, “The forces decided what will be the rules of engagement, the escalation ladder and how to control the escalation.” He also said there was a lot of planning and discussion among the three service chiefs, the Chief of Defence Staff and the highest political office.