India’s Air Force chief on Friday claimed the military destroyed both Chinese-made jets and US-built F-16s during clashes with Pakistan earlier this year, offering New Delhi’s first detailed account of its rival’s losses.
“Because of these strikes, radars at least four places, command and control centres at two places, runways of course damaged at two places, then three of their hangars in three different stations have been damaged … we have signs of one C-130 class of aircraft … and at least four to five fighter aircraft, most likely F-16, because that place happened to be F-16 with whatever was under maintenance at that time,” Singh added.
Speaking at the Indian Air Force’s press conference in New Delhi, Singh for the first time specified that F-16s – widely regarded as Pakistan’s most advanced fighters – were among those targeted.
Pakistan’s F-16s and C-130 Hercules are US-made, while its JF-17s are of Chinese origin. Singh, however, offered no evidence for his claims, and the Indian government has not issued an official statement to back them.
Singh described the strikes in Pakistan as the “longest kill” that will “go down in history”.
