[Source/Observer Network Ruan Jiaqi]

Local time on May 8, Reuters reported citing two US officials that in the brief "air combat" on July 7, a Pakistan-made FC-1 Xiaolong fighter jet manufactured by China successfully shot down at least two Indian military aircraft. This "achievement" marks an "important milestone breakthrough" for China's advanced fighter jets.

It was reported that an anonymous US official said that the US side was highly confident that the Chinese-made FC-1 fighter jets used by Pakistan had launched air-to-air missiles at Indian aircraft and had at least shot down two of India's aircraft. Another official added that at least one of the downed aircraft was France-made "Rafale" fighter jet.

The two also said that the F-16 fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin Corporation were not used by Pakistan in this operation.

Reuters pointed out that this is the first time the West has confirmed that Pakistan has used Chinese-made aircraft to carry out military operations. The report said that Washington is closely watching the performance of China's advanced aircraft against Western aircraft.

Fragments of Indian missiles found near Mirpur Dawk City, Punjab Province, Pakistan. Visual China.

Due to a "terrorist attack incident" in late April, the recent situation between India and Pakistan has become tense. At dawn on May 7, the Indian Air Force launched Operation Sindoor and attacked "terrorist facilities" within Pakistani territory. Pakistan claimed that it had "defended itself" and shot down six Indian military aircraft (including one drone).

Thursday, Pakistan's Defense Minister Asif told Reuters that Pakistan used FC-10 fighters to shoot down three new-purchased French-made "Rafale" fighter jets.

On the same day, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also disclosed the same information in parliament. He said in his speech to parliament: "Our fighters shot down India's 'Rafale', three French-made 'Rafale' fighter jets. We dispatched FC-10C fighters, all of which were obtained under cooperation with China."

Pakistan's shooting down of "Rafale" fighter jets has been confirmed by French officials. However, New Delhi has not yet admitted to any aircraft losses, instead claiming successful strikes on so-called "terrorist facilities" within Pakistan. When asked about related reports, an Indian Air Force spokesperson declined to comment.

According to Reuters, both "Rafale" and FC-10C are generally considered "4.5-generation" fighters, representing the forefront of current fighter technology.

Comprehensive reports from Hong Kong media "South China Morning Post" on August 8 introduced that FC-10 is a single-engine multi-purpose fighter jet designed and manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, which entered service in the Chinese Air Force in 2003. FC-10C is an upgraded version of this series, equipped with better engines and more advanced AESA radar, capable of launching PL-15 missiles.

Pakistan is the only country other than China to equip FC-10C fighter jets, having ordered 36 export-version FC-10CE fighter jets and 250 PL-15E missiles in 2020; the first batch of six were delivered in 2022, with a total of 20 currently in service.

In January 2024, FC-10C fighter jets executed their first cross-border operational mission, providing escort for Pakistan Air Force actions against Baloch separatist organizations in Iran, but did not participate in air combat.

"South China Morning Post" pointed out that if Pakistan's claims are confirmed, this will be the first time a Chinese fighter jet achieved an air-to-air kill in actual combat, marking the first setback for "Rafale" fighter jets in actual combat.

Reuters cited Western analysts and defense industry sources as saying that the real combat performance of advanced weapons that may be deployed in future major conflicts will be subject to extremely detailed scrutiny.

Douglas Barrie, senior military aviation researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said: "Personnel involved in air combat from China, the United States, and some European countries are eager to learn as much as possible about the real situations regarding tactics, technology, operating procedures, and what equipment was used, which equipment worked, and which did not."

Reuters mentioned that social media is buzzing about the real combat situation between China's PL-15 (PL-15E) missile and Europe's MBDA "Meteor" missile.

According to Indian media reports, fragments of suspected PL-15 (PL-15E) missiles were found in a village in Punjab, India after the air battle, indicating that Pakistan Air Force might have launched such missiles from FC-10C. The U.S. military news website "The War Zone (TWZ)" also noted that "China's PL-15 air-to-air missile seems to have been used in actual combat for the first time."

However, the above analysis and sources said that due to unclear key details, including whether Indian aircraft carried "Meteor" missiles and specific deployment conditions, it is currently difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

South Asian scholar Michael Kugelman told "South China Morning Post" that Pakistan has already confirmed that it used Chinese FC-10C fighters to counter and shoot down Indian fighters, proving the importance of Chinese weapons.

Kugelman said, "What we see in this crisis is that Pakistan's combat capabilities have been greatly supported by Chinese weapons."

He pointed out that American weapons purchased by Pakistan, such as F-16 fighter jets, can only be used for counter-terrorism actions and cannot be used against India, "this limits the scope of use of American weapons, making Chinese weapons even more important."

Abdul Basit, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, said that if Pakistan's claims are true, discussions about the performance comparison between Chinese fighters and France's most advanced fighters may come to an end.

Christine Fair, professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, also believed that this is a "comparison test" between China's aerial equipment and European fighters, with China's weapons undergoing real combat testing.

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

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502247914006184483/

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