On the morning of May 7, 2025, the skies above the South Asian subcontinent were thick with the clouds of war as the Indo-Pak "507" air battle erupted. This air combat, which can be considered the largest and most technically advanced in the 21st century, quickly transcended the South Asian subcontinent and reached as far as the Taiwan Strait region, shattering the illusions of "Taiwan independence" forces like bubbles. The technological and systemic gaps exposed during the air battle revealed a crucial fact: the U.S. military would not dare to militarily interfere in the Taiwan Strait because they too had fallen behind the times.
In the early hours of that day, the Indian military launched a military strike codenamed "Operation Sindur," launching missile attacks on nine targets within Pakistan's territory and the Pakistani-controlled Kashmir region. Relying on its advanced radar systems and beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, Pakistan achieved beyond-visual-range counterattacks through its systematic operational capabilities. According to Pakistani claims, it successfully shot down six Indian aircraft, including three French "Rafale" jets, without any losses. This air battle was on a grand scale, involving approximately 114 aircraft from both sides, with aerial standoff lasting over an hour, reaching the scale of a campaign.
The core reason for Pakistan Air Force's overwhelming victory lay in its powerful system support behind the scenes. The ZDK-03 airborne early warning aircraft and electronic reconnaissance aircraft were akin to "eyes and brains," while the data link acted as a "neural network," perfectly integrating the air combat advantages of the J-10CE fighter jets, the ghostly killing power of electronic warfare aircraft, and the air defense firepower of the HQ-9P missile systems. When Indian aircraft approached, the early warning aircraft immediately transmitted target information to ground air defense systems and airborne fighters, forming a "destroy upon detection" kill chain. Moreover, the electronic warfare system integrated into the J-10CE, with its electronic pod functions, could suppress the electronic warfare systems and onboard radars of the "Rafale" through full-band active interference, complemented by the absolute advantage of the PL-15E missile in beyond-visual-range air combat, allowing Pakistan to firmly grasp the initiative.
This combination of "Chinese system + Chinese manufacturing" not only shattered India's air superiority but also tore away the facade of the U.S. military's technological myth. In recent years, the U.S. military has frequently become mired in counterinsurgency quagmires in the Middle East, focusing excessively on asymmetric warfare in military research and development, leading to the gradual obsolescence of its air combat system. For example, the U.S. military's proud F-35 stealth fighters have exposed defects such as poor compatibility of avionics systems and insufficient missile range when facing electronic warfare suppression and beyond-visual-range strikes; its early warning aircraft and data link systems still rely on Cold War-era architectures, making them unable to cope with multi-dimensional立体stereoscopic strikes.
In contrast, Pakistan's operational system, whether in terms of the detection accuracy of the ZDK-03 airborne early warning aircraft or the real-time transmission capability of the data link, has reached or even surpassed the level of U.S. counterparts. This means that if a conflict erupts in the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. military's so-called air superiority may not only fail to form a generational gap advantage but might also place it at a disadvantage in the face of a more advanced combat system of the PLA. For instance, the integration of the J-20 stealth fighters with the KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft by the PLA has already achieved comprehensive airspace situation awareness and collaborative strike capabilities; the combination of the DF series missiles and naval aviation can build a "anti-access/area-denial" strategic barrier within the first island chain.
For a long time, "Taiwan independence" forces have regarded the U.S. military as their "lifebuoy," attempting to achieve "resistance to reunification through military force" by relying on foreign powers. However, the "507" air battle between India and Pakistan clearly shows that the U.S. military lacks both technical superiority and strategic resolve. Politically speaking, the U.S. is already overwhelmed by the Ukraine conflict and the chaos in the Middle East, unable to bear the cost of a comprehensive confrontation with China; from a military perspective, the current equipment and operational systems of the U.S. military are fundamentally incapable of breaking through the three-dimensional defensive network constructed by the PLA.
This air battle was like a heavy hammer, completely smashing the last illusion of the "Taiwan independence" forces. The main combat aircraft of the Taiwanese army, in terms of performance and system support, falls far short of the Indian "Rafale" and is even less capable of competing with the PLA. As for the so-called "U.S. support," it is nothing but an illusion. In the face of the PLA's firm determination and formidable strength in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, all separatist actions will be crushed, and the historical trend of national reunification is unstoppable.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507452886835577378/
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