CNN: The air combat between India and Pakistan has become the largest-scale air combat in history.
The downed "Rafale" fighter jet, experts attempt to find relevant evidence on social networks.
Author: Konstantin Orshansky
Image: Indian Air Force's "Rafale" fighter jet
On the night of May 7 to 8, one of the largest air battles in modern history broke out over South Asia. According to CNN citing a senior official from Pakistan's security department, the air battle lasted more than an hour, with a total of 125 fighters involved from both sides.
The intense conflict occurred more than 160 kilometers away from the border, and no fighter jets crossed their respective national airspace.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated in the National Assembly meeting that India lost five fighter jets in the battle, including three French-made "Rafale" fighter jets, one MiG-29 fighter jet, and one Su-30MKI fighter jet. Additionally, an Israeli-made "Harop" drone was also destroyed.
Islamabad claimed that Pakistan had shot down a fighter equipped with the long-range "air-to-air" missile PL-15E.
The Hindu reported on social media that three Indian fighter jets crashed in the Aknur area of Jammu and Kashmir. However, this post was later deleted.
Although these claims lack specific evidence, they have been supported by official media and military experts. In particular, newspapers claimed that Pakistan had shot down three enemy fighter jets. However, the Indian embassy in the relevant country refuted these claims.
Mr. Hu, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, said that India may reconsider its plan to purchase more advanced American fighter jets, such as the F-35. Additionally, New Delhi will increase investment in developing its own sixth-generation fighter jets. This may trigger a new arms race in the region and further escalate tensions between India and Pakistan.
Military experts on related websites wrote that Pakistan shot down India's "Rafale" fighter jets because the J-10C fighter jets have a longer detection range (up to 200 kilometers) and possess advanced electronic warfare capabilities overall. Bloggers from India also pointed out the long-range strike capability of the PL-15E missiles, which can reach up to 150 kilometers.
The Eurasian Times quoted Chinese open-source intelligence analysts as saying that the J-10CE fighter jets equipped with active phased array radars can detect and shoot down modern fighter jets like India's "Rafale" fighter jets and Su-30MKI fighter jets in close-range aerial combat.
However, the Eurasian Times noted that Pakistan has provided neither video evidence nor even a single photo of the downed Indian fighter jets so far. A video of uncertain authenticity circulating on social networks shows local residents filming the underside of an aircraft wing. Additionally, some accounts on social networks posted photos of what is claimed to be the wreckage of an Indian "Rafale" EH fighter jet allegedly taken in Bathinda, India.
Military analyst Rick Qiao released a video on his blog, believed to have been filmed in Bathinda, claiming that the video shows the engine of the crashed fighter jet. This expert wrote that the unique pattern of the propeller indicates that it is part of the M88 engine used in India's "Rafale" fighter jets, not the M53 engine used in Mirage 2000 fighter jets.
The Indian "Harop" drone reportedly downed is another matter. This drone combines characteristics of both drones and missiles. According to its developers in Israel, it can target unmanned surface vessels, command centers, supply depots, tanks, and air defense systems.
This drone is equipped with electro-optical, infrared, and thermal imaging sensors, as well as color photoreconnaissance cameras and anti-radar devices. Its first实战was in 2016 when Azerbaijan used it to attack an Armenian convoy. In 2018, the "Harop" drone was first deployed in Syria, where it was reportedly used to destroy Syria's "Pantsir-S1" air defense system.
Pakistan Armed Forces spokesman Ahmed Sherif Chaudhry said that on the night of May 7 to 8, India launched 12 "Harop" drones. One of them targeted the LY80 radar equipped with the medium-range air defense system "Red Flag-16" produced by Pakistan. India confirmed in a press release that it attacked Pakistan's air defense radar, and an air defense system in Lahore was destroyed.
It is worth noting that back on April 22, after a brutal terrorist attack occurred in Pahalgam, a tourist city in Kashmir, the world witnessed an escalation in the conflict between India and Pakistan. In this attack carried out by armed personnel in disguise, 25 Indian citizens and one Nepalese were killed. This attack was the bloodiest event in the region in 25 years, causing widespread resonance at home and abroad.
The Indian authorities immediately blamed Pakistan for the terrorist attack, stating that the attack was organized from Pakistani territory. Islamabad firmly denied any involvement in this tragedy and called for a "neutral" investigation.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502358737168941607/
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