Chinese-made J-10 fighter jet operated by the Pakistan Air Force shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on Wednesday, according to two US officials cited by Reuters, a significant moment for China’s aviation capabilities and a blow to Indian disinformation narratives.
An Indian Air Force spokesperson said he had no comment when asked about the Reuters report.
The performance of a leading Chinese fighter jet against a Western rival is being closely watched in Washington for insights into how Beijing might fare in any showdown over Taiwan or the wider Indo-Pacific.
One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was high confidence that Pakistan had used the Chinese-made J-10 aircraft to launch air-to-air missiles against Indian fighter jets, bringing down at least two.
Another official said that at least one Indian jet that was shot down was a French-made Rafale fighter aircraft.
Both officials said Pakistan’s F-16 aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin, were not used in the shootdown.
New Delhi has not acknowledged the loss of any of its planes and instead said it carried out successful strikes inside Pakistan.
World powers from the US to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world’s most dangerous, and most populated, nuclear flashpoint regions.
In France, Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation and the MBDA consortium, which makes the Meteor air-to-air missile, could not immediately be reached for comment on a public holiday.
While Reuters reported on Wednesday that three Indian planes went down, citing local government officials in India, this marks the first Western confirmation that Pakistan’s Chinese-made jets were used in the shootdowns.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Reuters on Thursday that the J-10 was used to shoot down three French-made Rafale planes, which were newly acquired by India. Altogether, Pakistan says it downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat.
The Rafale and the model of the J-10 used by Pakistan are both considered generation 4.5 fighter jets, placing them at the leading edge of combat aircraft.
India launched strikes on Pakistan and AJK early Wednesday morning — an assault that Islamabad called a “blatant act of war”.
Islamabad said six Pakistani locations, from mosques to hydropower projects, were targeted. At least 31 civilians, including children, were martyred and 57 sustained injuries after India launched an unprovoked and devious attack at six locations — Ahmedpur East, Muridke, Sialkot and Shakkargarh in Punjab and Muzaffarabad and Kotli in Azad Kashmir.
In retaliation, the Pakistan armed forces shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets, 29 drones, destroyed a brigade headquarters and a number of checkposts along the Line of Control (LoC).
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three major wars, as well as numerous smaller conflicts.
