India claims S-400 destroyed Pakistani aircraft at 314km during Operation Sindoor
The Defence Ministry said the engagement demonstrated the Indian Air Force’s long-range air-defence capability during the four-day conflict.
An Indian S-400 air-defence unit destroyed a Pakistani special-mission aircraft at a distance of 314km during Operation Sindoor, according to India's Defence Ministry's Annual Report 2025-26 released yesterday (13 September).
The report described the engagement as one of the longest surface-to-air engagements claimed by India and said it demonstrated the Indian Air Force's (IAF) long-range air-defence capability, reports The Hindu.
"Indian radars tracked the threat in silence," before a long-range surface-to-air missile was guided to its target at the far end of its engagement envelope, the report said.
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The engagement took place during the four-day conflict from 7 to 10 May 2025, when the IAF used its Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) to centrally coordinate air-defence operations.
The IACCS integrated military and civilian surveillance sensors and provided a common recognised air situation picture to stakeholders, according to the report.
The report said IAF Networked Tactical Nodes at multiple locations helped identify and classify aerial targets, while trained operators ensured that civil aircraft were not engaged during the hostilities.
It also said the IAF carried out strikes against Pakistani air-defence radars, command-and-control centres and military infrastructure in Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Murid, Sargodha, Jacobabad and Bholari.
The Defence Ministry alleged that Pakistan continued operating its civil airspace, including commercial flights, during the conflict, while India sought to ensure international air traffic was not put at risk.
The report said Pakistan carried out attacks between 8 and 10 May targeting military assets as well as civilian infrastructure, places of worship, schools and medical facilities.
India's response remained "calibrated but punitive", the report said, with precise military action aimed at compelling Pakistan to halt further escalation.
Following the strikes, Pakistan called for a cessation of hostilities, according to the report.
The report also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Air Force Station Adampur on 12 May 2025 and commended IAF personnel involved in Operation Sindoor. On 15 August that year, 219 Presidential Gallantry Awards were awarded to IAF personnel for their role in the operation.
