Russian-made S-400 system a ‘gamechanger ‘ – Indian Air Force chief
Addressing a gathering on Saturday, Singh said the Indian armed forces had shot down five Pakistani jets and one airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft during strikes on its neighbor as part of 'Operation Sindoor' in May.
'The S-400 system which we had recently bought has been a gamechanger,' he said. 'The kill range of that system kept their aircraft away from the maximum distance at which they could employ their long-range air-to-ground weapons, like those long-range glide bombs that they have.'
Singh is the first Indian military official to directly speak of the losses inflicted on Pakistan during the standoff.
'We have at least five fighters confirmed killed and one large aircraft, which could be an ELINT aircraft or an AEW&C aircraft, which was taken out from a distance of about 300km, which is the largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about,' Singh said.
He also spoke of the impact of Indian strikes on Pakistani airbases and air defenses. 'At least six radars, some of them big, some of them small… We have an indication of at least one AEW&C in that AEW&C hangar and a few F-16s, which were under maintenance there,' Singh was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
The Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system has also earned the praise of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'Platforms like the S-400 have given unprecedented strength to the country,' the Indian leader said in May.
India acquired S-400 systems from Russia in 2016 at a cost of $5.4 billion, in defiance of a US threat to impose sanctions.
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