August 10, 2025

Hold your breath! The Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, dropped a bombshell during his speech at Bengaluru’s Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture. He confirmed that during the daring Operation Sindoor, the IAF took down not one, not two, but FIVE Pakistani fighter jets along with a massive airborne surveillance aircraft. "This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about," he proudly declared. Operation Sindoor was India’s fierce cross-border mission hitting deep into enemy territory. Singh recollected, “Sargodha, we’ve grown up in our Air Force, dreaming about days like this... So it just so happens that I got my chance just before I retired… So we took on the airfield there…” This strike wasn’t random; it nailed critical military spots! At the Shahbaz Jacobabad airfield, an F-16 hangar was smashed halfway and many fighter jets inside were damaged. Two vital command and control centres at Murid and Chaklala were hit hard, plus six radar sites took the hit. There were strong signs that an airborne early warning (AEW&C) plane and several F-16s were housed in one of those damaged hangars. And that’s not all! Terror hubs didn’t escape either. Jaish-e-Mohammed’s headquarters in Bahawalpur was blasted. Singh showed satellite images proving precise targeting with “hardly any collateral” damage—neighbouring buildings were safe and sound. With advanced long-range weapons and smart planning, civilians were kept out of harm’s way. Singh also praised the mighty S-400 missile system, calling it a “game-changer.” Thanks to it, enemy planes stayed terrified far away, unable to use their long-range glide bombs effectively. But such a bold operation needed strong political backing. Singh said, “There were very clear directions given to us. No restrictions were put on us… We had full freedom to plan and execute.” The coordination between army, navy, and air force was seamless, crediting the Chief of Defence Staff and NSA for joining forces smoothly. The war was short yet fierce. In just 80 to 90 hours, India did enough damage to send a clear message to the other side. Eventually, Pakistan wanted peace talks, signaling the operation’s success. Thinking back to 2019’s Balakot strikes, Singh admitted the earlier challenge: lack of clear proof made it tough to convince the public. This time, satellite and media images showed the world exactly what India had achieved—no more doubts! In closing, the Air Chief quoted his own team and popular voice, saying, “People got down to their egos in this war… Once we achieved our objective, we should have looked for all windows of opportunity to stop... The nation has taken a good decision.” This praised the pause in Operation Sindoor, urging maturity over endless conflict. India’s air power roared loudly and wisely in Operation Sindoor, marking a proud moment for the country and its defenders!

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Tags: Indian air force, Operation sindoor, Pakistani jets, Air chief marshal amar preet singh, S-400 missile system, Cross-border strike,