(GEO MILITARY AFFAIRS) — As the dust settles on Operation Sindoor, a blistering four-day air campaign launched by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from May 7 to May 10, 2025, the fog of war continues to cloud clarity over the exact toll inflicted on Pakistan’s military infrastructure and airpower capabilities.
Adding to the conflicting narratives, the highly respected UK-based defence publication Air Forces Monthly has contested India’s official claims by stating that only a single Pakistani aircraft—a C-130 Hercules military transport plane—suffered minor damage during the operation.
“Throughout Operation Sindoor, the only confirmed Pakistani aircraft damage was a C-130 Hercules,” the magazine reported, directly challenging Indian assertions of widespread destruction at multiple Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases.
This revelation contradicts IAF claims that its precision-guided missile strikes, including those launched from Rafale and Su-30MKI platforms armed with BrahMos and SCALP-EG cruise missiles, neutralized several high-value targets across 11 of Pakistan’s 13 operational airbases.
According to Air Forces Monthly, the ill-fated C-130 belonged to the 6th Air Transport Squadron stationed at the Nur Khan Airbase near Rawalpindi, a critical logistics hub for the PAF.
The report closely mirrors statements issued by Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), which categorically denied any loss of fighter jets or surveillance aircraft and instead emphasized that the damage inflicted was limited and manageable.
In stark contrast to Indian claims of air dominance, Pakistani authorities asserted that they had inflicted retaliatory losses on the IAF, including the shootdown of six Indian fighter jets—three Rafales, one MiG-29, and one Mirage as well as one Su-30MKIs.
“The Pakistani Mirage… Shattered,” read a caption on official Indian MOD footage showing the wreckage of what they claim to be a downed PAF Mirage, a direct rebuttal to ISPR’s denials.
In its own post-operation communique, ISPR confirmed the deaths of 13 Pakistani military personnel during the Indian strikes, including five at Bholari Airbase, one at Mushaf, and six more during aerial engagements over the four-day campaign.
Disturbingly, ISPR also reported that 40 civilians lost their lives when Indian missile strikes impacted facilities adjacent to or within proximity of airbases.
While ISPR acknowledged structural damage at six key airbases, including hangars, runways, and control towers, it insisted that the core combat readiness of the PAF remained intact.
Among the worst-hit installations were Bholari, Mushaf, and Nur Khan—facilities pivotal to Pakistan’s airborne command and control, long-range ISR, and regional rapid response capabilities.
Defence analysts argue that these facilities, now compromised, will likely require urgent rehabilitation or temporary decommissioning, potentially forcing the PAF to rely more heavily on secondary bases or rapid recovery support from allies such as China and Turkey.
India’s use of standoff weapons, particularly the BrahMos and SCALP-EG missiles launched from frontline multirole fighters, highlights a doctrinal shift towards deep-strike precision engagements aimed at degrading enemy operational depth.
Indian military sources stated that targets included hardened aircraft shelters, mobile command posts, fuel depots, and runway intersections—with satellite imagery cited as evidence of cratering and damage patterns consistent with subsonic and supersonic cruise missile impacts.
According to Indian media outlets including Times of India and India Today, up to nine Pakistani aircraft were destroyed, including multiple F-16s, JF-17 Thunders, Mirage-Vs, and J-7 interceptors, many of which were stationed at Chaklala, Mianwali, and Masroor airbases.
India also claims to have destroyed two airborne early warning and electronic warfare (AEW&C/ECM) aircraft in high-precision strikes, reportedly Saab Erieye platforms vital to Pakistan’s airspace surveillance architecture.
Further bolstering India’s narrative, it was reported that one additional Saab Erieye was downed by an S-400 Triumf air defence system near Dinga, showcasing India’s ability to conduct layered defensive and offensive aerial operations.
The Indian Ministry of Defence showcased video evidence of drone wreckage and missile fragments to substantiate its claim of shooting down over ten Pakistani drones during the operation.
Meanwhile, India asserted that only one of its aircraft was lost during the engagement, with no further details provided, while dismissing Pakistan’s claimed kills as “unverified and politically motivated.”
The disparity in loss reports has been further complicated by heavy use of electronic warfare, which disrupted real-time ISR coverage and rendered satellite-based assessments less reliable during peak hostilities.
Independent OSINT communities continue to evaluate publicly available satellite imagery, some of which appears to support claims of infrastructure damage but lacks conclusive proof of aircraft losses.
Notably, India confirmed that it had intercepted and neutralized several Pakistani missile threats using integrated air defence systems, including Akash, S-400 Triumf, and SPYDER batteries, reinforcing its growing reputation for layered and responsive air defence.
The destruction of PAF surveillance platforms, if independently confirmed, would represent a major degradation of Pakistan’s ability to monitor and respond to aerial incursions in real-time, particularly along the sensitive eastern corridor.
With AEW&C assets gone and drone losses mounting, Pakistan may accelerate its procurement of next-gen systems such as J-10C fighters, advanced UAVs, or seek immediate replenishment of Erieye platforms from China or Sweden.
India’s successful employment of Rafale F4.2 fighters equipped with METEOR beyond-visual-range missiles and SCALP standoff cruise weapons underscores the maturity of its integrated air strike capabilities.
The inclusion of indigenous platforms such as LCA Tejas Mk1A and combat drones further demonstrates India’s shift toward homegrown force multipliers under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
As regional and global observers monitor the situation, China has reportedly voiced concern over the safety of infrastructure tied to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), while the United States has called for restraint to prevent a spiraling conflict between nuclear-armed rivals.
In summary, Operation Sindoor marks a new chapter in India-Pakistan aerial confrontations, underscoring the convergence of precision warfare, information asymmetry, and strategic signalling in a volatile subcontinental theatre.
— GEO MILITARY AFFAIRS