India Downed Six Pakistani Aircraft During May Clashes, Says Air Force Chief

Bengaluru: India’s Air Force Chief revealed on Saturday that the country shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during the deadly clashes between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in May 2025, marking the most significant air combat incident in decades.

Speaking at a military event in Bengaluru, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh confirmed that most of the Pakistani aircraft were neutralized using India’s Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system, citing electronic tracking data as proof of the strikes.

“We have at least five fighters confirmed killed, and one large aircraft,” Singh stated. He added that the larger aircraft, possibly a surveillance or reconnaissance plane, was taken down from a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) — a distance he described as “the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill.”

The announcement received applause from an audience that included serving officers, military veterans, and defense industry representatives.

While Singh did not specify the models of the downed fighter jets, he noted that Indian airstrikes had also damaged another surveillance aircraft and destroyed “a few F-16s” parked in hangars at two air bases in southeastern Pakistan.

Pakistan’s military has not yet issued a response to Singh’s claims. Islamabad has previously denied losing any aircraft during the May 7–10 conflict, during which tensions between the long-standing rivals reached their highest point in recent years.

Instead, Pakistan claimed it had shot down six Indian aircraft, including a French-made Rafale fighter jet — a claim New Delhi has denied, though it has acknowledged some losses.

In a separate development, France’s Air Chief, General Jerome Bellanger, earlier stated that he had reviewed evidence suggesting the loss of three Indian jets, including a Rafale. However, the Indian Air Force has not commented on these international claims.

The May clashes marked the worst military confrontation between India and Pakistan in years, renewing global concerns about conflict escalation between two countries with nuclear capabilities.

Read more: Massive Aerial Clash: PAF Delivers Stunning Blow to Indian Rafale Jets from 200km Away