Reuters: Pakistan's Chinese Fighter Jet Shot Down Two Indian Planes

• 9.05.2025, 13:37

Washington and Beijing are watching the situation with interest.

A Pakistani-made Chinese J-10 fighter jet has shot down at least two Indian warplanes, two U.S. officials told Reuters (translated by Charter97.org). The event was a milestone for China's military aviation, the first time it has faced Western equipment in real combat.

One of the sources said there was a "high degree of confidence" in the J-10's use of air-to-air missiles to launch air-to-air missiles at Indian fighter jets. A second official said at least one of the downed aircraft was a French Rafale. No U.S. F-16s, also in Pakistani service, were used.

Delhi officials did not confirm the losses. India said its strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said up to five Indian aircraft, including three Rafale, had been shot down.

Washington and Beijing are watching the situation with interest, with the J-10's clash with Western hardware seen as a possible prologue to future conflicts, from Taiwan to the Indo-Pacific.

"It is too early to draw conclusions - there is too little information," said a Western defense source. However, military analysts have already begun studying how PL-15 missiles performed against European Meteor missiles.