Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said that Indian airstrikes had hit multiple Pakistani airbases, damaging radars, command centres, runways, hangars, and even a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh addresses a press conference in Delhi. Pic/PTI
Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, on Friday said that four to five Pakistani fighter jets, most likely F-16s, were destroyed on the ground during Operation Sindoor, along with major damage to several Pakistani military installations, reported the ANI.
Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, the IAF chief said that Indian airstrikes had hit multiple Pakistani airbases, damaging radars, command centres, runways, hangars, and even a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.
He also confirmed that a C-130-class aircraft and a high-value surveillance aircraft, possibly an AEW&C, were struck during the operation.
“We struck a large number of their airfields and installations,” Singh said.
“Radars were hit in at least four locations, command and control centres at two, and runways damaged at two airbases. Hangars at three different bases were also hit. We have signs that four to five fighter aircraft, most likely F-16s under maintenance at the time, were destroyed,” he said, according to the ANI.
The IAF also successfully carried out a long-range strike over 300 kilometres, which the Air Chief said may have taken out either an AEW&C aircraft or another critical high-value platform.
“Our systems show we destroyed five high-tech fighters, either F-16s or JF-17s, and possibly an AEW&C aircraft,” Singh added, as per the ANI.
One of the most significant moments of Operation Sindoor was India’s use of its advanced long-range surface-to-air missile systems, which reportedly prevented the Pakistani Air Force from operating even within parts of its own territory.
“Our newly operationalised long-range SAMs allowed us to look deep inside their airspace and deny them movement,” the IAF chief said.
“The longest successful missile strike of over 300 km will go down in history. It significantly limited Pakistan’s actions,” he said, the news agency reported.
Air Chief Marshal Singh highlighted that the operation was carried out with a clear mandate and timeline, and ended promptly after India met its military objectives.
“This operation stands as a lesson for the world,” Singh said. “We had a clear goal. Once we achieved it, we ended the conflict without prolonging it unnecessarily,” he said.
In contrast to current global conflicts with no resolution in sight, Singh said India demonstrated how a nation can achieve results through precise action and strategic clarity.
“In today’s world, many wars drag on endlessly. But we reached a point where Pakistan asked for a ceasefire, and we, as a nation, decided to end hostilities on our terms,” the Air Chief Marshal said.
(with ANI inputs)
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