The Indian Air Force has officially revealed that six Pakistani aircraft—five fighter jets and one large surveillance plane—were destroyed during Operation Sindoor. This marks the first detailed disclosure of the damage inflicted on Pakistan during the large-scale military operation launched in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam massacre.
The larger aircraft was identified as an AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) platform, a critical asset for Pakistan’s air defence, whose loss significantly weakened its aerial capabilities. According to Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, the AEW&C was targeted from a distance of nearly 300 km—making it the longest recorded surface-to-air kill in history. The Air Chief noted that in addition to the six airborne kills, Pakistani assets were also destroyed on the ground in precision strikes on airbases.
Highlighting the impact of the newly inducted Russian-made S-400 missile defence system, Singh described it as a “game-changer” that prevented Pakistan from deploying long-range precision weapons like glide bombs, as their aircraft could not breach Indian air defences.
The IAF conducted strikes on Jacobabad and Bholari airbases, destroying F-16 fighter jets that were under maintenance and possibly another AEW&C aircraft. “We have indications that at least one AWACS was inside the hangar, along with multiple F-16s,” Singh confirmed.
The damage was so severe that, according to the Air Chief Marshal, Pakistan recognised that prolonging the conflict would only result in heavier losses—prompting them to seek a ceasefire. He credited the success of the operation to unrestricted political backing, explaining that the forces were given complete freedom to escalate and plan operations without interference, ensuring a calibrated but decisive military response.
Satellite images and local media photos were used to document the destruction, addressing lessons learned from the Balakot airstrike, when proof of damage was heavily contested. In total, the IAF hit nine terror targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to the Pahalgam attack.