New Delhi: At least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft including F-16 jets were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Friday while describing Islamabad’s claim of India’s losses as “fanciful stories”.
The Air Chief Marshal said that Indian action also damaged several military infrastructure in Pakistan that included hangars in three locations, radars in at least four places, command and control centres in two sites and runways in two places.
Air Chief Marshal Singh was addressing a press conference days ahead of the annual Air Force Day.
On reports that various terror groups are relocating their bases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following Operation Sindoor, he said it was expected and that the Indian Air Force has the capability to go deep inside to hit their hideouts with absolutely accurate targeting.
“We can destroy them and their hideouts. So, our options have not changed. Our options will remain the same in this matter,” he said.
Air Chief Marshal Singh also gave clear indication that India may procure additional batches of S-400 air defence missile systems after their performance during the operation.
To questions, he also provided details of Pakistan’s losses during Operation Sindoor citing intelligence reports and evidence collected through electronic surveillance.
“What we have gathered from the intelligence report is that because of these strikes, radars at least four places, command and control centres at two places, runways at two places and then three of their hangars in three different stations have been damaged,” he said.
In hangars as well as on tarmac, we have signs of damage to one C-130 class of aircraft, one AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) class of aircraft and at least four to five fighter aircraft, most likely F-16, he said.
The Chief of Air Staff said the IAF has clear evidence of one long-range strike with more than 300 km range hitting an AEW&C or SigNit (Signals intelligence) aircraft, along with five high-tech fighters between F-16 and JF-17 class.
“This is what our system tells us,” he said.
He, however, did not divulge details of losses suffered by India.
The Chief of Air Staff said his force struck a large number of Pakistani military installations.
In response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan.
The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.
To a question, the IAF chief said all three services have started working on the ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ air defence system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 announced the project to develop an indigenous air defence system to protect India’s vital military and civilian installations and to deliver a decisive response to any enemy threat.
