India-Pakistan Conflict: A brand new report from the US Congress has reignited dialogue across the temporary however intense India–Pakistan battle that came about in Might. Whereas the evaluation seems broadly sympathetic to Pakistan’s narrative, it concurrently highlights a number of inconsistencies in Islamabad’s claims and calls out China’s parallel disinformation push focusing on India’s Rafale fleet publish Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan had claimed it shot down six Indian jets throughout the clashes. The congressional report, nevertheless, states that India misplaced three plane—and means that not all of them have been Rafales. The findings distinction with former US President Donald Trump’s earlier comment {that a} complete of eight jets have been downed. Primarily based on the report’s numbers, if India misplaced three plane, Pakistan could have misplaced as many as 5.
IAF’s Claims Acquire Credibility
Indian Air Pressure Chief Air Chief Marshal Amarpreet Singh had beforehand asserted that IAF information indicated far higher losses on the Pakistani facet—between 12 and 13 plane.
In line with him, not less than a dozen Pakistani army plane, together with F-16s, have been destroyed or considerably broken throughout India’s Operation Sindoor. He detailed proof of strikes on a C-130-class plane, an AEW&C platform, and 4 to 5 fighter jets—most certainly F-16s—whereas they have been parked in hangars or on the tarmac.
Discussing engagements within the air, the Air Chief Marshal revealed that the IAF has validated a long-range strike, exceeding 300 km, that hit both an AEW&C or a signals-intelligence plane. He added that 5 high-tech fighters—believed to be from the F-16 and JF-17 courses—have been additionally engaged efficiently.
Whereas studies had beforehand circulated about F-16 injury on the bottom, that is the primary time the IAF has confirmed an air-to-air engagement involving Pakistan’s US-built fighters. The JF-17s, flown by Pakistan, are collectively produced by China. These assessments convey Pakistan’s complete plane losses, in accordance with India, to 12–13.
China’s Function: Disinformation and Weapons Testing
The congressional report additionally sheds gentle on China’s deeper involvement within the battle. Analysts have lengthy debated the true outcomes of the four-day conflict, however the brand new findings point out that China used the confrontation as each a propaganda stage and a real-time weapons testing alternative.
In line with the report, China deployed a coordinated disinformation marketing campaign aimed toward undermining India’s Rafale jets throughout the battle, even because it gathered operational information to market its personal defence tools globally.
Through the Might 7–10 hostilities, Pakistan relied closely on Chinese language help, utilizing plane just like the JF-17 and J-10C, PL-15 beyond-visual-range missiles, HQ-9 and HQ-16 air defence methods, drones, in addition to Chinese language reconnaissance satellites and the BeiDou navigation system. The congressional panel famous that Beijing later used the battle to advertise its weapons as combat-tested options to Western defence platforms.