A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) operation involving Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets successfully brought down a French-origin Rafale jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) during an intense air battle in early May, according to a detailed investigative report by Reuters.
The air clash, which occurred in the early hours of May 7, is being described by military analysts as one of the largest aerial engagements globally in decades, involving around 110 aircraft from both sides.
The incident followed an Indian airstrike on Pakistani territory, which Delhi claimed targeted militant infrastructure allegedly linked to a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad, however, denied any involvement in the prior attack and viewed India's action as unwarranted escalation.
PAF Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, who had reportedly been sleeping on a mattress near the operations room for days anticipating Indian aggression, ordered an immediate scramble of the air force's Chinese J-10C jets. These aircraft, equipped with the long-range PL-15 missiles, played a key role in the operation.
“We ambushed them,” a senior Pakistani air force official told Reuters. He added that the PAF had also initiated an electronic warfare offensive to confuse Indian pilots during the encounter.
While Indian officials have neither confirmed the loss of the Rafale nor commented on the intelligence lapses that may have contributed to the situation, French military and defense industry sources have acknowledged the incident.
The French Air Chief in June confirmed evidence of the loss of a Rafale and two other aircraft operated by India, including a Russian-made Sukhoi.
The Reuters investigation revealed that a critical intelligence failure on India’s part regarding the true strike range of the PL-15 missile was a central factor in the loss.
Indian pilots believed the export variant of the PL-15 had a limited range of 150 km; however, the actual missile was fired from approximately 200 km away, according to Pakistani and Indian sources.
“This was a textbook example of situational awareness being the decisive factor,” retired UK Air Marshal Greg Bagwell told Reuters, emphasizing that the side with the superior information network triumphed.
Reuters reported that Pakistan’s ability to create a “kill chain” — an integrated multi-domain warfare system linking surveillance, data, and targeting — gave the PAF an edge. The J-10Cs, flying closer to the Indian border, were reportedly fed radar data from a Swedish-made surveillance aircraft further away via a Pakistani system known as Data Link 17. This allowed the jets to keep their own radars off and avoid detection.
In contrast, Indian officials admitted their ongoing struggle to integrate their air assets — which are sourced from multiple international vendors — into a cohesive command and control network.
Following the May 7 confrontation, India altered its air tactics and launched counter-offensives on May 10, reportedly targeting nine Pakistani airbases and radar sites. According to Indian and Pakistani sources, India’s BrahMos supersonic missiles penetrated Pakistan’s air defenses, and a Pakistani surveillance aircraft was damaged on the ground.
The brief but intense aerial conflict ended on May 10 after diplomatic intervention by the United States led to a ceasefire.
India's Deputy Army Chief Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh later accused Pakistan of receiving real-time military input from China, though he did not provide direct evidence. Pakistan has denied the claim, while Chinese officials described their military cooperation with Islamabad as part of routine bilateral relations.
Reuters also reported that China’s air chief, Lt. Gen. Wang Gang, visited Pakistan in July and expressed interest in learning how the PAF integrated Chinese platforms during its multi-domain operation against India.
