In a rare and emphatic disclosure, <a title="India Operation Sindoor" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/opinion/modi-s-security-doctrine-shapes-india-s-strategy/13837" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India&rsquo;s</a> Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has confirmed that during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force (IAF) struck deep into <a title="Pakistan" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/geo-politics/pak-s-dar-india-hit-nur-khan-rafiqui-airbases-/14336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakistan&rsquo;s</a> skies, downing six fighter aircraft and crippling its air combat capability in what is now being called the largest recorded surface-to-air kill in modern South Asian military history.
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The operation, executed in the shadow of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, was designed as a decisive punitive measure against cross-border terror infrastructure. Speaking in Bengaluru, the Air Chief revealed that the high-value kills included five fighter jets and a large Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&amp;C) aircraft &mdash; Pakistan&rsquo;s airborne &ldquo;eyes and ears&rdquo; &mdash; taken out at a range of nearly 300 kilometres. The loss of the AEW&amp;C, he said, was a devastating blow to Pakistan&rsquo;s aerial surveillance and coordination.
At the heart of this success was India&rsquo;s recently inducted Russian-made S-400 Triumf air defence system &mdash; described by the Air Chief as a game-changer. Its long-range engagement envelope prevented Pakistani aircraft from deploying stand-off weapons such as glide bombs, forcing them to stay well outside strike range. &ldquo;They have not been able to penetrate the system,&rdquo; he stated, crediting the missile shield with neutralising Pakistan&rsquo;s offensive plans.
The operation extended beyond aerial engagements. IAF strikes pounded the Shahbaz Jacobabad and Bholari airbases, destroying F-16s under maintenance and, according to operational intelligence, another AWACS aircraft on the ground. At Jacobabad, half of a key fighter hangar was obliterated, potentially damaging more aircraft inside.
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By May 7, Pakistan&rsquo;s losses &mdash; both in the air and on the ground &mdash; had eroded its operational tempo. The scale of destruction and the strategic impact of losing critical assets prompted Islamabad to seek a ceasefire. Hostilities ceased on May 10, with the IAF&rsquo;s success signalling a new era in India&rsquo;s integrated air defence capabilities.
Operation Sindoor will be remembered not only as a tactical victory but as a statement of technological dominance, demonstrating that the IAF&rsquo;s networked air defence and strike capabilities can decisively tilt the balance in any future confrontation.

India’s Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh

IAF’s S-400 system delivers biggest ever surface-to-air kill against Pakistan

Operation Sindoor: Six PAF Jets Downed

IAF’s S-400 system delivers biggest ever surface-to-air kill against Pakistan

August 9, 2025 | 20:08 IST