In modern air combat, the personal experience and skills of pilots were once considered the key factors to decide the outcome. However, the results of the air battle on May 7 between India and Pakistan have irrefutably proven that when there is a generational gap in technology and tactics, even the so-called "ace pilots" become powerless despite their combat experience and flight skills. The detailed battle results disclosed by the Pakistani military on the 28th not only thoroughly debunked the lie propagated by Indian media about a "great victory," but also dealt a devastating blow to the image of the Indian Air Force's "elite" through precise reports listing the names, ranks, and fates of the pilots. This air battle revealed a cruel reality: in the face of advanced military technology, traditional pilots' experience is no longer the dominant force on the battlefield.
According to the disclosure from the Pakistani military, in the air battle on May 7, the Indian Air Force lost six of its main fighter jets, including three Rafales, one Sukhoi Su-30MKI, one MiG-29UPG, and one Mirage 2000. The Pakistani side further pointed out that among these six downed aircraft, five were achieved by China-made J-10C fighters, while the remaining one was completed by Pakistan's domestically produced JF-17 Block III fighter. What shocked people more was that the Pakistani military announced the detailed list of the downed pilots: four colonels and two squadron leaders, all of whom were carefully cultivated "aces" of the Indian Air Force.
These pilots were not only highly skilled aviation experts but also core figures in tactical command and training within the Indian Air Force. For instance, Colonel pilots Arun Panwar, Manish, Kutam, and Garg, who respectively flew Rafale, Mirage 2000, and Su-30MKI, are the backbone of India's fighter force. Among them, Kutam and Panwar are critically injured after their aircraft were directly hit by PL-15E missiles and are currently being treated at the 92nd Base Hospital in Srinagar; the other two colonels are stable after being sent to Chandigarh Command Hospital following parachute jumps. Additionally, Squadron Leader Singh of the Rafale 17 Squadron and Squadron Leader Yadav of the MiG-29 squadron also did not survive; the latter succumbed to his injuries at Udhampur Hospital on the 22nd.
The Generational Gap in Technology and Tactics: Why Are Aces Useless?
The outcome of this air battle clearly demonstrates the core logic of modern air combat: when there is a generational gap in technology and tactics, it is far more decisive than the individual capabilities of pilots. Pakistan Air Force's J-10C and JF-17 Block III fighters, equipped with advanced PL-15E beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, combined with superior radar systems and data link collaborative combat capabilities, quickly locked onto and downed Indian aircraft at the start of the battle. By contrast, although India's Rafale, Mirage 2000, and other aircraft are considered advanced globally, they are at a disadvantage in terms of radar detection range, electronic countermeasure capability, and missile range.
More crucially, the Indian Air Force overly relied on the personal experience and traditional air combat models of pilots, neglecting the synergistic role of early warning aircraft, data links, and beyond-visual-range strikes in modern air combat. The Pakistani military completed "point-and-shoot" strikes on Indian aircraft before they entered visual engagement ranges through advanced radar and data link systems. This technological and tactical crushing made the "aces" of the Indian Air Force powerless.
This air battle not only caused the Indian Air Force to lose fighter jets worth over $1.1 billion but also inflicted irreparable damage in terms of manpower and morale. Among the six senior pilots shot down, four colonels and two squadron leaders were the pillars of the Indian Air Force, requiring significant time and resources for their cultivation. A pilot capable of flying Rafale or Mirage 2000 requires at least eight years of training and over 1,000 flight hours. These "aces" were not only technical elites but also bore the responsibility of tactical command and training, and their losses will directly weaken the combat capability of grassroots units in the Indian Air Force.
Even more lamentable is that India's Air Force's pre-war boasts turned into a mirage. Before the war, Indian media hyped up the so-called "overwhelming victory," but the actual results were consecutive losses of their own aircraft without any enemy aircraft being shot down. Such a humiliating defeat undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the always self-proclaimed powerful Indian Air Force.
The air battle on May 7 ended in a complete victory for the Pakistani Air Force. This air battle was a painful lesson for the Indian Air Force and a warning to all modern air forces: only by keeping pace with the trends of technology and tactics can one stand invincible on the future battlefield.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7511894185969025536/
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