A recent report from the US Congress has reignited interest in the brief conflict between India and Pakistan that took place in May. The report corroborates certain aspects of Pakistan’s narrative while revealing significant inconsistencies and gaps in its account. It also highlights China’s involvement in disseminating misinformation during the conflict. Regarding aircraft losses, Pakistan claimed to have downed six Indian jets, while the US report asserts that India lost only three aircraft, not all of which were Rafales. Former President Trump had previously stated that eight jets were shot down, a figure that does not align with the latest findings. If India lost three aircraft, the report suggests that Pakistan may have incurred losses of around five.
India, however, maintains that Pakistan faced far greater losses. According to India’s Air Chief Marshal Amarpreet Singh, Pakistan lost between 12 and 13 aircraft during Operation Sindoor. The Indian Air Force (IAF) claims to possess evidence that includes a C-130-type aircraft, an AEW&C surveillance aircraft, and 4-5 fighter jets, presumably F-16s, destroyed on the ground. The IAF has also confirmed a long-range strike of 300 kilometers against a Pakistani surveillance aircraft, stating that five fighters from Pakistan’s F-16 and JF-17 fleets were engaged in air combat. This marks the first confirmation from the IAF of air-to-air operations involving Pakistan’s F-16s.
Furthermore, the US report indicates that China provided support to Pakistan during the engagement, asserting that China orchestrated a disinformation campaign aimed at India’s Rafale jets. Additionally, China reportedly took advantage of the conflict to gather real-time intelligence and to market its own weaponry as ‘battle-tested.’ From May 7 to 10, Pakistan deployed numerous Chinese systems, including JF-17 and J-10C jets, PL-15 missiles, HQ-9 and HQ-16 air defense systems, drones, and Chinese satellites, along with the BeiDou navigation system. The report concludes that China subsequently leveraged this information to promote its defense products.
