IAF chief confirms S 400 downed 5 Pak jets, 1 AEW&C in Operation Sindoor

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has, for the first time, officially confirmed that IAF S-400 air defence systems shot down five Pakistan Air Force fighter jets and one AEW&C/ELINT aircraft at long range during Operation Sindoor, in what he described as “the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill” the IAF can talk about.

“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 a distance of about 300 kilometres,” ACM Singh said. “This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about.”

The IAF chief also confirmed strikes on key Pakistani air bases. “Shahbaz Jacobabad airfield, one of the major airfields that was attacked. Here there’s an F-16 hangar. One half of the hangar is gone. And I’m sure there were some aircraft inside which have got damaged there,” he stated.

According to Singh, the IAF was able to destroy “at least two command and control centres, like Murid and Chaklala… At least six radars, some of them big, some of them small… We have an indication of at least one AEW&C in that AEW&C hangar and a few F-16s, which were under maintenance there.”

The destruction of the airborne early warning aircraft at a 300 km range highlights the long reach of the S-400 Triumf air defence system, capable of engaging high-value targets far inside hostile airspace. Defence analysts say such losses — including fighters, radars, command centres, and critical surveillance assets — could significantly weaken the Pakistan Air Force’s operational readiness.

This is the first official confirmation from the highest rank of the Indian Air Force on the scale of Pakistani losses during Operation Sindoor. Until now, details had been based on unofficial reports and satellite imagery.