According to Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, during Operation Sindoor, India’s S-400 air defence system shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one AEW&C or ELINT aircraft. Calling the system a “game-changer,” he claimed a large target was destroyed from approximately 300 kilometres away — recorded as the longest surface-to-air kill to date.

Following the April 22, 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, Indian security forces launched Operation Sindoor from May 7–10, striking terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK) and within Pakistan itself. According to Singh, the S-400’s extended range prevented Pakistan Air Force jets from reaching positions to deploy long-range glide bombs, forcing them into standoff. In the process, F-16s at Jacobabad and a support aircraft at Bholari were also destroyed, he said.

Meanwhile in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities held a “victory celebration” press briefing, claiming their air defences had “defeated” the Indian offensive. However, international analysts have dismissed this as an empty show. Lahore-based independent defence analyst Abdul Karim said, “If they have lost high-value assets like an AEW&C, that’s not a victory, that’s a serious defeat.”

Military sources note that Pakistan’s JF-17s and F-16s typically use missile systems with an effective range of about 80–100 kilometres — far short of India’s 400-kilometre-capable S-400. This long-range interception capability effectively denies Pakistani aircraft access to contested skies, tilting air superiority towards India early in the conflict.

India’s Defence Ministry has described the operation as a “targeted action against terrorist infrastructure” and urged the international community for support. When contacted for comment, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry repeated only its allegation of “international law violations.”

After Sindoor, the message about a shifting balance of power in South Asia’s skies is clear — but how long that balance will hold remains an open question, to be answered by future political and military moves.

Operation Sindoor