At the 16th Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh confirmed that Operation Sindoor inflicted significant damage on Pakistan’s air assets.
“We shot down five of their fighter jets,” Singh stated, highlighting the effectiveness of India’s air defence capabilities during the conflict.
He said, “Our air defence system performed excellently. The S-400 system, which we recently acquired, has been a game-changer. Pakistan had long-range glide bombs, but they couldn’t use any of them as they failed to penetrate our air defence.”
Singh praised the performance of India’s S-400 air defence system, describing it as a game-changer that neutralised Pakistan’s long-range glide bombs, which failed to penetrate Indian airspace.
#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Speaking on Operation Sindoor, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh says, “…We have at least five fighters confirmed kills and one large aircraft, which could be either an ELINT aircraft or an AEW &C aircraft, which was taken on at… pic.twitter.com/ieL6Gka0rG
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2025
Singh revealed that the Indian Air Force successfully targeted and destroyed Pakistan’s surveillance aircraft, an Airborne Early Warning and Control/Electronic Intelligence (AEW&C/ELINT) plane, at an unprecedented distance of around 300 kilometres.
“This is the record for surface-to-air targeting,” he added, underscoring the strategic edge gained by India’s aerial defences.
The Air Chief Marshal cited before-and-after satellite images of strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, confirming the complete destruction of targeted facilities. Local Pakistani media coverage also displayed inside views of the wreckage, providing further corroboration.
Full Freedom to Operate: Political will enabled the armed forces to plan and execute operations without constraints, fostering excellent coordination among the Army, Navy, and Air Force under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
Pakistan’s Retreat After 90 Hours: After sustained high-tech conflict lasting approximately 3.5 days, Pakistan signalled willingness to cease hostilities, recognising the heavy damage inflicted.
Erasing the ‘Balakot Ghost’: Unlike the 2019 Balakot strike, Operation Sindoor provided concrete evidence of its success, dispelling doubts and enhancing India’s strategic credibility.
Calls for Further Strikes Checked: Though some military insiders suggested escalating the conflict, the decision to halt operations was hailed as judicious and in the nation’s best interest.
Timeline of Operation Sindoor
May 7: India launched airstrikes on nine terrorist locations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing over 100 militants. Targets included Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters and Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar’s hideout.
May 8: Pakistan retaliated with drone attacks on India’s western states, largely thwarted by Indian air defences.
May 9: India struck six Pakistani military airbases to degrade aerial capabilities.
May 10: Ceasefire announced.
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