A global defense research report has challenged India’s claims of air superiority, revealing details of significant losses sustained by the Indian Air Force (IAF) during a 52-minute aerial clash with Pakistan in May this year.
According to a report in the British defense magazine “AeroMagazine”, four Indian Rafale fighter jets were destroyed during the aerial skirmish. The serial numbers of the downed Rafale jets were BS001, BS021, BS022, and BS027. However, India has failed to present credible photographs or evidence to confirm the destruction of these aircraft.
The report further highlighted that the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) multi-domain operational strategy put immense pressure on Indian pilots, leaving them unable to effectively respond during the encounter. Additionally, the IAF suffered losses of one MiG-29, one Su-30, and one Heron drone.
On May 10, Pakistani JF-17 Block-3 fighter jets targeted and disabled India’s S-400 defense system at Udhampur, rendering it inoperable.
The report also revealed that Pakistani forces successfully destroyed an Indian command and control system located in Barnala, while Pakistan’s cyber units impacted a large portion of India’s digital and social networks.
Notably, the report pointed out that this was the first time a military force had combined cyber operations with traditional military tactics in a highly effective manner.
Furthermore, India’s Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan admitted in an interview that Indian aircraft were indeed destroyed during the aerial clash, confirming the findings of the report.
