"Air power did the trick": Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on attacking multiple bases in Pakistan, calls to "brace up for future challenges"

Addressing the 22nd Subroto Mukherjee Seminar in Delhi, organised by the Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS), he highlighted the Indian Air Force's proven track record of delivering swift and decisive outcomes, citing its ability to strike multiple targets in Pakistan within hours.

"... The part of military power that has come in handy, or which has delivered what was required to be delivered, is air power. It is very important that we focus on this part of the military if we want to be a force to reckon with. Whether it is getting people out of the conflict zone, whether it is to give a blow to terrorist infrastructure and their perpetrators, or whether it is attacking bases in Pakistan in a matter of a few hours to send a signal that enough is enough and bring them to their knees. It was the air power which did the trick, and that has to be remembered," said the Air Chief Marshal.

Notably, Operation Sindoor was a significant event demonstrating military precision and strategic conflict resolution. This operation, launched on May 7, 2025, aimed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled areas following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack.

In the Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force destroyed 12-13 of Pakistan's combat aircraft, including four to five F-16s on ground and five F-16s and JF-17s in the air along with two spy planes.

Earlier, addressing the press conference on the 93rd Air Force Day celebrations in the national capital, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) said that five Pakistani fighter jets, which could be F-16s or Pakistan's 'pride', the backbone of its air force, Chinese JF-17s, were shot down using the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) S-400 Triumf "Sudarshan Chakra" system.

Another four to five F-16s, which were undergoing maintenance in hangars, were destroyed after the IAF peppered them.

The Air Chief also added that the IAF cratered several Pakistani airbases, damaging radars, command centres, runways, hangars, and a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.

He added that the IAF's advanced long-range surface-to-air missiles prevented Pakistan from operating even within its own territory up to a certain range. CAS also described the operation as a historic achievement with the longest successful missile strike of over 300 kilometres, which limited Pakistan's actions.

"The long-range SAMs that we had procured recently and operationalised... We could look deep inside their territory. We could ensure they were unable to operate even within their territory for a certain distance. It will go down in history as the longest kill that we achieved, of more than 300 kilometres. And it seriously curtailed their activities," the Air Chief said.

The IAF chief added that India entered the conflict with a clear goal and ended it quickly after achieving its objectives. He said this should serve as a lesson for the world, as many other ongoing wars have no end in sight."A clear directive and mandate were given to the Indian Armed Forces... It stands as a lesson which will go down in history that this is one war that was started with a very clear objective, and it was terminated in a quick time without just prolonging it," he said.

When asked about the S-400 Triumf air defence system, the Air Chief praised the performance of the Russian-made system, calling it a "good weapon system," while hinting that more units could be inducted in the future."Obviously, that has done well. So, there's a requirement for more such; there is no limit to the number you can buy. Again, I'm keeping quiet about the plan... It has proved to be a good weapon system. We have our own system also developing, so we will take a call on that," he said.

India, back in 2018, signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with Russia for five S-400 units, of which three have been delivered, with the rest likely to be delivered by 2026.

The Indian Air Force Chief also said that Pakistan's claims of shooting down Indian fighter jets lacked any evidence and were made only to save face, dismissing them as "Manohar Kahaniyan" (fanciful stories).

The ACM added that there was no evidence to support Pakistan's claims, while India had shared images of damage caused to Pakistani targets."If they think they shot down 15 of my jets, let them think about it. I hope they're convinced about it, and they will cater for 15 less aircraft in my inventory when they come to fight again. So why should I talk about it? Even today, I won't say anything about what happened, how much damage was done, how it happened, because let them find out..." the CAS said.

"Have you seen a single picture where something fell on any of our airbases, something hit us, a hangar was destroyed, or anything like that? We showed so many pictures of their places. However, they couldn't show us even a single picture. So their narrative is 'Manohar Kahaniyan'. Let them be happy, after all, they also have to show something to their audience to save their reputation. That doesn't matter to me," he added.

The Air Chief Marshal also cautioned against complacency today, urging the services to prepare for future challenges in an increasingly volatile global environment. "Let us not rest on past glory. Let us brace up for the future challenges," he said.

Recalling the legacy of Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, the founding father of the Indian Air Force, Singh said the IAF was built in an era of limited resources but strong vision. He noted that while constraints remain, the force today operates with far better resources and technological depth.

Air Chief Marshal stressed that initiatives like the Subroto Mukherjee Seminar help keep India's armed forces intellectually prepared and capable of safeguarding national sovereignty. (ANI)