PAF’s Chinese fighters make global headlines after downing Indian jets

IN an unprecedented development in South Asia’s volatile military landscape, Pakistan’s use of Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets to shoot down multiple Indian aircraft during a fierce aerial clash has drawn global attention, testing Chinese weaponry against Western systems in real combat for the first time.

According to a detailed report by Adnan Aamir for Nikkei Asia, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) deployed J-10C jets to intercept a fleet of Indian aircraft -- three Rafales, one MiG-29, and one SU-30 -- that had crossed into Pakistani airspace. “Chinese J-10C jets participated in Pakistan’s response”, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced during an address to the National Assembly. He added that Pakistan had kept Beijing informed once the conflict began.

The Indian incursion early Wednesday morning struck nine Pakistani locations and resulted in 31 deaths and 57 injuries, as confirmed by the Inter-Services Public Relations. What followed was an intense one-hour standoff involving 125 fighter jets from both sides. Neither side left its airspace, a security official told Nikkei Asia.

US officials, speaking to Reuters, confirmed the J-10C jets were used to fire air-to-air missiles that brought down at least two Indian fighters. One of these, according to a French intelligence source cited by CNN and The Telegraph, was a Rafale F3R -- the most advanced model in India’s fleet -- marking the first time a Rafale has been downed in combat. “The Chinese delegation, roused from their sleep by the outbreak of conflict between two nuclear-armed nations, was thrilled with the success of the Pakistani defence”, reported The Telegraph’s Memphis Barker. Dar added that the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan visited the Foreign Ministry at 4am to celebrate what he called an “unprecedented military success.”

While India has yet to officially confirm the loss of any aircraft, open-source intelligence analysts have shared images of the wreckage of a Chinese-made PL-15 missile -- fired from the J-10C -- broadcast on Indian media and shared on social platforms. “The missile has never been used in combat before”, The Telegraph reported, but its performance on Wednesday appears to validate China’s long-claimed technological advances. According to defence analyst Fabian Hoffmann, speaking to The Telegraph, the PL-15 missile -- fired from a range potentially exceeding 100km -- was a “very public demonstration of the prowess of Chinese military aerospace technologies.”

The economic fallout also reflected the shockwaves of the battle. Nikkei Asia noted that the share price of AVIC Chengdu Aircraft, the maker of the J-10C, surged by 16 per cent on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, while AVIC Aerospace rose by 6.0 per cent in Hong Kong. From a geopolitical standpoint, analysts say the clash has handed China a valuable intelligence opportunity. Reuters quoted Alexander Neill, a Singapore-based security analyst, saying: “From an intelligence perspective, this is a rare target of opportunity right on China’s borders involving a key potential adversary.” The use of Chinese jets offers Beijing real-world data to further refine its technologies and strategies. China’s military involvement, though officially denied by its foreign ministry -- “not familiar with the matter” -- signals deeper strategic ties with Pakistan. Between 2020 and 2024, 81 per cent of Pakistan’s imported arms came from China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Qamar Cheema, executive director of Islamabad’s Sanober Institute, emphasised this growing dependency: “Pakistan believes that Chinese military technology is gaining momentum and has demonstrated superiority over European systems… particularly regarding the downing of aircraft”, he told Nikkei Asia.

For Pakistan, Wednesday’s battle has validated years of Chinese arms procurement. Muhammad Shoaib, a postdoctoral fellow at George Mason University, told Nikkei: “Historically, Chinese systems were not the first choice of the Pakistani military... But [J-10C], put into use as a team lead, shows Pakistan’s growing confidence”. China, too, has emerged with a significant strategic and psychological boost. As Cheema noted to Nikkei, “This not only boosts the credibility of Chinese arms but also strengthens China’s psychological and strategic standing.” The BBC, citing diplomatic and military sources, reported an unusual silence from the Indian defence establishment in the wake of the Pakistani claims. The BBC also observed that images circulating on social media were “consistent” with what experts would expect from such an encounter, though independent verification has not been possible.