[By Guancha Observer]

At midnight yesterday (May 7), India launched a military operation named "Vermilion" under the banner of "anti-terrorism," using various types of aircraft carrying cruise missiles, guided bombs, and other weapons, as well as drones to attack multiple targets in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. The Pakistan Air Force intercepted and shot down several Indian Air Force aircraft during counterattacks, including at least one Dassault Mirage 2000, one Rafale, and several other Russian-made aircraft. On the afternoon of May 7, the tail fin and engine afterburner section of the first Rafale fighter jet, BS001, equipped by the Indian Air Force, were discovered by civilians on the ground, marking the first time that the Rafale had been shot down in air combat.

The tail fin wreckage found in Punjab, India, is exactly the BS 001 Rafale fighter jet first delivered to the Indian Air Force. Social media platforms

As for the Pakistan Air Force, no losses have been reported for any aircraft involved in this engagement as of today. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed on the same day that the Pakistan Air Force had used J-10C fighters to shoot down six Indian Air Force aircraft, including the Rafale, and some Indian drones during the brief air battle early in the morning.

This overwhelming victory achieved by the Pakistan Air Force in the air combat presents a situation where "high-end confrontation between Chinese and French fighters" is evident. Despite the fact that the Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000, which was later confirmed through debris images near Srinagar, Kashmir, was ignored in subsequent Internet dissemination, the other Rafale fighter jet that was shot down, like the Taiwanese Mirage 2000, is also manufactured by Dassault, thus still generating significant public opinion heat in Taiwan. It has become a hot topic in reports and political commentary shows on several Taiwanese media outlets. According to reports from Taiwan's China Times Online, retired naval captain Lu Lishih showed multiple photos of Indian aircraft debris obtained from the internet on TVBS' political commentary program on the same day, and verified the features consistent with the Rafale fighter jet on the spot.

Retired Major General Shuai Huamin, who once served as the Executive Officer of the Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, stated on CTS News Channel that India's main fighter jets include MiG-29s, Su-30s, and Rafales, among others. The Rafale is more advanced than Taiwan's current Mirage 2000 fleet and is considered France's best fighter aircraft; however, it was shot down in this conflict. With battlefield validation, the J-10C can "sell well" in future arms sales. On the other hand, the downing of the Rafale by mainland weapons should prompt "serious concern" for Taiwan's military. Since the Rafale is Taiwan's follow-up model to the Mirage 2000 and is more advanced than the Mirage, which is already showing signs of obsolescence and aging, and whose data link cannot communicate with F-16s, Shuai Huamin questioned during the program whether Taiwan's current military buildup and preparedness still relies on the Mirage fighter jets.

Retired Major General Shuai Huamin of Taiwan appeared on a political commentary show on May 7.

The reaction on social media within the island is quite interesting, with many expressing concern for the Taiwanese military. Many voices suggest that if foreign trade weapons allowed for export by the mainland can already shoot down Europe's best fighters, the advanced equipment of Taiwan's military, which is far inferior to Europe and even India, will face an extremely disadvantageous situation when confronting the People's Liberation Army. However, it is not surprising that another part of the content and posts are still filled with arguments such as "perhaps the Indians have poor flying skills" or "it might have been shot down by friendly fire from Indian anti-aircraft missiles," which are reluctant to admit the reality, making people amused.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502000345313231375/

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