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LONDON – July 21, 2025:British defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke has revealed that Indiawas likely unprepared for the scale and effectiveness of Pakistan’smilitary response during the recent cross-border conflict. According toClarke, the deployment of advanced Chinese-made systems by Pakistan,including the Chengdu J-10C fighter jets and HQ-9 long-range air defencesystems, played a critical role in countering Indian offensives.
In an interview with British media, Clarke said intelligence suggests thata Pakistani J-10C may have successfully downed a French-made Indian Rafalejet, a move that has sent shockwaves through strategic circles in NewDelhi. “India was anticipating strong words from General Asim Munir, but itwas the swift precision strike capability of the Pakistani forces thattruly caught them by surprise,” Clarke stated.
Conflict Timeline and Escalation
The conflict escalated dramatically on May 7, 2025, when Indian airstrikesin Azad Kashmir killed 31 Pakistani civilians, including women andchildren. Pakistan’s military retaliated almost immediately, launchingtargeted air and drone strikes that reportedly destroyed at least threeIndian fighter jets, two Israeli-origin Heron drones, and caused severedamage to an S-400 air defence system stationed near the Line of Control.
Sources close to Pakistan’s military have claimed that JF-17 Block IIIfighters, in addition to the J-10C fleet, were also deployed effectively inelectronic warfare roles, jamming Indian radar systems and exposingvulnerabilities in Indian surveillance grids.
International Reaction and Ceasefire
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Following the rapid escalation and the growing risk of a wider war, U.S.President Donald Trump reportedly stepped in to broker a ceasefire. Thetruce was reached on May 11, four days after the hostilities began. Whileofficial numbers from either side remain classified, independent observerssuggest the conflict marked one of the most intense aerial confrontationsbetween India and Pakistan in recent years.
Strategic Implications
The effectiveness of Chinese military hardware in Pakistan’s arsenal hasnow become a point of concern for regional and Western analysts. The J-10C,equipped with AESA radar and PL-15 beyond-visual-range missiles, offers acredible counter to India’s Rafale and Su-30MKI fleets.
“Pakistan’s adoption of a hybrid fleet and integrated defence system,largely sourced from China, shows a level of preparedness and technologicalassimilation that India seems to have underestimated,” Clarke concluded.
As both nations reassess their air defence doctrines, the conflict islikely to prompt deeper military cooperation between Pakistan and China,while India may seek to diversify its defence procurement and addresspotential intelligence gaps exposed during the brief but intense clash.