Just after midnight on May 7, 2025, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) operations room screens lit up with dozens of Indian aircraft positions, signalling an imminent assault. Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Sidhu, anticipating the attack, ordered Pakistan’s Chinese-made J-10C jets to scramble, specifically targeting India’s prized Rafale fighters. The hour-long skirmish in darkness involved around 110 aircraft, making it the world’s largest air battle in decades, according to experts.
In May 2025, Reuters reported that Pakistan’s J-10C fighter jet successfully shot down at least one Rafale, according to U.S. officials. This unexpected development raised concerns about the effectiveness of Western military hardware compared to Chinese alternatives. As a result, Dassault shares experienced a decline, and Indonesia began considering the purchase of J-10 aircraft.
Reuters interviews with eight Pakistani and two Indian officials revealed critical insights:
- Intelligence Failure: India’s underestimation of Pakistan’s PL-15 missile range (firing from ~200 km vs. expected 150 km) allowed an ambush.
- Largest Modern Air Battle: The May 7 clash was the first major contest using beyond-visual-range weaponry, with planes staying within national airspaces.
- Pakistan’s Kill Chain: Superior situational awareness came from a multi-domain network integrating air, land, and space sensors, including the Data Link 17 system, enabling J-10s to fly undetected with radars off.
- Electronic Warfare: Pakistan disrupted Indian systems, though India disputed its impact on Rafales.
- Tactical Shifts: After initial losses, India targeted Pakistani infrastructure with BrahMos missiles, striking nine air bases and a surveillance plane, leading to a U.S.-mediated ceasefire on May 10.
The PL-15’s long-range strike surprised Indian pilots, who believed they were out of firing distance. Pakistan’s electronic warfare assault further confused defenses. Indian officials noted their Rafales remained operational, but Sukhoi systems were disrupted. Delhi is upgrading these, while Pakistan’s network connected Chinese hardware with Swedish surveillance planes.
India’s deputy army chief Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh accused Pakistan of receiving “live inputs” from China, denied by Islamabad. China’s air chief Lt. Gen. Wang Gang visited Pakistan in July to discuss the “kill chain,” per PAF officials.
The battle stemmed from India’s May 7 strikes on alleged terrorist targets in Pakistan, following the April 22 Pahalgam attack. India’s defense attaché in Jakarta cited political constraints limiting attacks on Pakistani military sites. Gen. Anil Chauhan confirmed tactical rectifications post-losses.
The conflict alarmed Washington, prompting U.S. mediation. Experts like Justin Bronk from RUSI emphasized situational awareness’s role over hardware superiority. Greg Bagwell, retired U.K. Air Marshal, noted the winner had the best information.
