Media: Pakistan’s Chinese-made fighter jet downs Indian aircraft

A Chinese-made Pakistani fighter plane has shot down at least two Indian military aircraft, a significant development in the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.

Two U.S. officials confirmed that Pakistan's Chinese-made J-10 aircraft launched air-to-air missiles against Indian jets, bringing down at least two of them, Caliber.Az reports per Reuters.

One U.S. official, who requested anonymity, stated, “There is high confidence that Pakistan used the Chinese-made J-10 to launch air-to-air missiles.” Another source confirmed that at least one of the downed Indian jets was a French-made Rafale fighter aircraft, recently acquired by India. However, both officials clarified that Pakistan’s F-16 fighter aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin, were not involved in the attack.

India has not officially acknowledged the loss of any aircraft but instead reported successful strikes against what it described as “terrorist” infrastructure inside Pakistan. An Indian Air Force spokesperson declined to comment on the matter when approached by Reuters.

This incident has garnered global attention, particularly in Washington, where the performance of Beijing's advanced fighter jets against a Western rival is being closely watched for insights into how China might fare in a potential conflict, such as over Taiwan or in the wider Indo-Pacific region.

“The performance of the Chinese J-10 against a Western rival is of keen interest to military analysts,” said a U.S. official. “Air warfare communities in China, the U.S., and Europe will be extremely interested in getting as much ground truth as they can on tactics, techniques, and what worked and what didn’t,” noted Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif confirmed the use of the J-10 to shoot down three Rafale aircraft, which were among the most advanced in India’s arsenal. “Pakistan downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat,” Asif said, emphasizing the significance of this achievement.

This clash between two nuclear-armed neighbours adds another chapter to their longstanding history of conflict. Both countries have fought three major wars and numerous smaller skirmishes. The use of advanced weaponry, such as China's PL-15 air-to-air missile against the Meteor missile produced by European company MBDA, has sparked intense scrutiny from military analysts.

However, crucial details about the engagement, including whether the Meteor missiles were deployed or carried by the Indian planes, remain unclear. A Western defense industry source commented, “At the moment, it’s not possible to judge anything. We know so little.”

Tensions between the two nations continue to escalate, with the latest clashes involving drone attacks. Indian military sources reported blasts in Jammu, Indian Kashmir, on May 8, which they suspect were caused by a Pakistani drone attack. Pakistan, for its part, claimed to have shot down 25 Indian drones overnight, while India reported intercepting Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets.

World powers, from the U.S. to Russia and China, have urged both nations to exercise restraint in what is widely regarded as one of the most volatile and densely populated nuclear flashpoints in the world.

By Aghakazim Guliyev