On Wednesday, a prominent Chinese-manufactured Pakistani fighter plane achieved a significant feat by downing at least two Indian military aircraft, according to two US officials who spoke to Reuters. This development marks a pivotal moment for Beijing’s advanced fighter jets.
The prowess of China’s leading fighter jet against a Western adversary is under intense scrutiny in Washington, offering valuable insights into Beijing’s potential performance in any possible confrontation over Taiwan or across the broader Indo-Pacific region.
One US official, who requested anonymity, expressed a high degree of confidence that Pakistan employed the Chinese J-10 aircraft to fire air-to-air missiles, successfully bringing down at least two Indian jets. Another official noted that one of the downed Indian planes was a French-engineered Rafale fighter aircraft. Both officials confirmed that Pakistan’s F-16 aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, were not utilized in the engagement.
Delhi has refrained from acknowledging the loss of any of its aircraft, asserting instead that it executed successful strikes targeting “terrorist” infrastructure within Pakistan.
Amidst rising tensions, global powers, including the US, Russia, and China, have urged for calm in this critical and densely populated nuclear flashpoint region.
In France, it was not possible to obtain immediate comments from Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, and the MBDA consortium, which produces the Meteor air-to-air missile, due to a public holiday.
While Reuters cited local government officials in India reporting the loss of three Indian planes on Wednesday, this statement represents the first Western confirmation that Pakistan utilized its Chinese-made jets in these operations.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, informed Reuters on Thursday that the J-10 was deployed to shoot down three of the newly acquired French-made Rafale planes by India.