Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on Saturday announced that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully shot down six Pakistani fighter jets and a large aircraft during Operation Sindoor, marking the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill by India.
Speaking at the 16th edition of the Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture, he said, “We have an indication of at least one AWACS in that AWACS hangar, and a few F-16s, which were under maintenance there. We have at least five fighters confirmed kill and one large aircraft, which could be either an aircraft or an AWACS, which was taken down at a distance of about 300 kilometers. This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we have achieved.”
This operation represents a significant milestone in India’s defense capabilities and air combat achievements.
Based on precise intelligence, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said the Indian Air Force (IAF) decided to strike key Pakistani airbases during Operation Sindoor.
“The airfield was attacked along with the main building used for operational planning, which also doubled as a civil terminal at times,” he said. Regarding Sukoor airbase, Singh stated, “We targeted the UAB hangar and radar site.”
He shared visuals showing the hangar completely flattened and the radar site before and after the attack. “The AWACS hangar was also attacked, and we clearly observed an aircraft inside at the time of the strike,” he added.
Reflecting on the attack on Sargodha airfield, the IAF chief said, “We have grown up in the Air Force dreaming about days like this. Someday we get a chance. It just so happened that I got this chance before my retirement. We attacked the airfield where we had very solid intelligence on the F-16s.” (Agencies)
