WASHINGTON: A top Chinese-made Pakistani fighter jet shot down at least two Indian military aircraft during a dramatic escalation in hostilities between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan, multiple US officials told Reuters, marking a significant moment for Beijing’s aerospace capabilities.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had “high confidence” that the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) deployed Chinese-manufactured J-10 fighter jets to shoot down Indian aircraft in an air-to-air confrontation.
One of the aircraft downed was identified as a French-made Rafale jet, a high-end fighter recently acquired by India.
“This marks a major milestone for Beijing’s advanced fighter jet,” one US official told Reuters, noting that Western defence analysts are closely monitoring how China’s aircraft fare against Western-made rivals—especially in light of future potential flashpoints, including Taiwan and the broader Indo-Pacific.
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.
This marks a major milestone for Beijing’s advanced fighter jet,” one US official told Reuters, noting that Western defence analysts are closely monitoring how China’s aircraft fare against Western-made rivals—especially in light of future potential flashpoints, including Taiwan and the broader Indo-Pacific.
A 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.
BBC locates footage of crashed Indian fighter jet
Meanwhile, BBC Verify has reported that it has authenticated three videos, which purportedly show the wreckage of a French-manufactured Rafale fighter jet, the very same that are used by the Indian Air Force.
“In one clip — geolocated by BBC Verify to a field near the city of Bathinda in India’s Punjab state — troops can be seen collecting debris from the crashed jet,” BBC Verify said.
It added that it had also located two further clips from the same location filmed at night, with one showing debris in the field, while another showed a projectile catching fire in the sky and then fire in an open field.
“Justin Crump, a former British Army officer who runs the risk intelligence company Sibylline, told BBC Verify the wreckage appears to be a French air-to-air missile of a type used on both Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighter jets.
“Another image circulating on social media shows a tail fin with ‘BS001’ and ‘Rafale’ inscribed on it. Google reverse image searches did not show any old versions of the image.”
India silent on aircraft losses
The Indian government has not officially acknowledged the loss of any of its planes. An Indian Air Force spokesperson declined to comment when approached by Reuters.
Instead, Indian officials claimed to have successfully conducted air strikes targeting what they described as “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistani territory.
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.
This is a clear message that Pakistan retains the right to self-defence and will not tolerate aggression.” Pakistan’s Defence Minister
Despite India’s silence, local government officials in India confirmed to Reuters that three Indian aircraft had crashed, and wreckage had been discovered in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan claims five Indian jets downed
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters on Thursday that three of the jets shot down were Rafales, while two others included Su-30s—another advanced aircraft used by the Indian Air Force (IAF). He confirmed that Pakistan did not deploy its US-made F-16s in the operation.
“This is a clear message that Pakistan retains the right to self-defence and will not tolerate aggression,” Asif said at a press conference in Islamabad.
Asif told Reuters 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.
CNN adds to current debate
Speaking to CNN, a high-ranking French intelligence official confirmed that at least one Rafale operated by India had been shot down. If verified, this would be the first known combat loss of the Rafale, an advanced twin-engine multirole fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation.
Rafale is considered one of the most sophisticated multi-role fighter jets in the world. Its loss in combat, especially at the hands of a regional rival, marks a significant development in South Asia’s escalating military standoff.
Rafale is considered one of the most sophisticated multi-role fighter jets in the world. Its loss in combat, especially at the hands of a regional rival, marks a significant development in South Asia’s escalating military standoff.
A senior US official confirmed to CNN that the United States has assessed that Pakistan shot down at least one Indian jet during recent military tensions between the two countries.
The US official, with access to the latest intelligence, stated that while Washington had not yet confirmed which weapons system Pakistan employed, the available evidence suggests Pakistani forces were responsible for downing the aircraft.
The French government is reportedly investigating whether additional Rafales were also brought down by Pakistani defences.
Photos and videos circulating on social media from the crash site in Indian-administered Kashmir appeared to show debris with French markings, though aviation experts cited by CNN cautioned that the parts could not yet be definitively confirmed as belonging to a Rafale.
Pakistan said earlier on Thursday it shot down 25 drones from India overnight, while India said its air defences had stopped Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets. – Agencies
