New Delhi, 9 August 2025 – More than three months after intense hostilitiesbetween India and Pakistan in early May, Indian Air Force Chief Amar PreetSingh has claimed that the IAF shot down a total of six Pakistani militaryaircraft. These included five fighter jets and one large military aircraft,reportedly a surveillance or command-and-control platform.
Speaking at the L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru, Air Chief MarshalSingh revealed key details of the operation, known internally as OperationSindoor. He stated that India’s S-400 air defence system played a centralrole in neutralizing enemy targets, including the large aircraft which wasdestroyed at a range of approximately 300 kilometers. He described thisengagement as the longest-distance surface-to-air kill ever recorded.
Singh credited the success of the mission to the integration of advancedtechnologies such as the S-400, which provided India with a decisive edge.According to him, the system allowed Indian forces to intercept Pakistaniaircraft well before they could pose a direct threat. He referred to theS-400 as a “game changer” in India’s air defense capability.
Operation Sindoor also involved precision strikes on key Pakistani airbases, including the Jacobabad airbase, where significant infrastructuredamage was reported. Singh mentioned that Indian forces struck targets withcalculated restraint to avoid wider escalation, even though they had thecapacity to launch broader attacks. The operation, he said, was marked bypolitical will and strategic discipline.
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The Indian Air Force Chief’s detailed account marks a shift from earliersilence by Indian authorities regarding aerial engagements in May. Hisremarks come in response to Pakistan that had earlier claimed to havedowned multiple Indian jets during the clashes. India had acknowledgedsuffering losses but had withheld specific figures until now.