Pakistan's Chinese-made jet brought down two Indian fighter aircraft, US officials say
Pakistan
The performance of a leading Chinese fighter jet against a Western rival is being closely watched
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top Chinese-made Pakistani fighter plane shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on Wednesday, two US officials told Reuters, marking a major milestone for Beijing's advanced fighter jet.
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 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 (LMT.N) were not used in the shootdown.
Delhi has not acknowledged the loss of any of its planes and instead said it carried out successful strikes against what it said was "terrorist" infrastructure 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 (AM.PA), and the MBDA (AIR.PA) (BAES.L), (LDOF.MI), 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.
Pakistan’s Defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad 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.
Sergei Zagoskin says they found a soldier here with his ID on him. 'We managed to read it and have found his relatives,' he says.
CLOSELY EYING
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.
Western analysts and defense industry sources said the live use of some of the advanced weapons that could be deployed in future major power conflicts would be scrutinised in minute detail, but emphasized it was too early to draw firm conclusions.
"Air warfare communities in China, the US and a number of European countries will be extremely interested to try and get as much ground truth as they can on tactics, techniques, procedures, what kit was used, what worked and what didn't," said Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Social media posts highlighted the face-off between China's PL-15 air-to-air missile against the Meteor, produced by European missile group MBDA (AIR.PA).
But the analysts and sources said crucial details were unclear including whether Meteors were carried or how they may have been deployed.
"At the moment it's not possible to judge anything. We know so little," a Western defense industry source said.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three major wars, as well as numerous smaller conflicts.
Pakistan said earlier on Thursday it shot down 29 drones from India overnight.
SCANT DETAILS
Western analysts and industry sources said crucial details remained unclear including whether the Meteor was carried and the type and amount of training the pilots had received. Arms firms would also be anxious to separate technical performance from operational factors, analysts said.
"There will be audits of what works and what doesn't work, but I think the other overlay is the proverbial fog of war," said Byron Callan, a Washington-based defense expert and managing partner of Capital Alpha Partners.
US arms companies are getting constant feedback about how their products are working in the war in Ukraine, he said.
"So I absolutely expect the same to be the case with India's European suppliers, and Pakistan and China are probably sharing the same feedback. If the PL-15 is working as advertised or better than expected, the Chinese would like to hear that."
A defense industry source from a Western country operating the Meteor said an online picture of a seeker appeared to feature the component of a missile that had missed its target. There are conflicting reports on whether Pakistan has the domestic version of the PL-15 from the PLAAF, China's air force, or the lower-range export version publicly unveiled in 2021.
Barrie, who has written extensively on the missile, said he believed that Pakistan most likely has the export version.
A Western industry source dismissed claims that the rocket-powered PL-15 had longer range than the air-breathing Meteor but acknowledged that its capability "may be greater than was thought." The Meteor's range has not been officially published. "At the moment it's not possible to judge anything. We know so little," the industry source said.
The PL-15's range and performance have been a focus of Western interest for years. Its emergence was seen as one of many signals that China had moved well beyond reliance on Soviet-era derivative technology.
The United States is developing the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile via Lockheed Martin partly in response to the PL-15 and its beyond-visual-range performance – part of a broader reset of Western priorities toward China.
European nations are exploring a mid-life upgrade for Meteor, which specialist publication Janes says could involve propulsion and guidance, but analysts say progress has been slow.
