Pakistan’s military has claimed that Chinese-made weapons performed “exceptionally well” during the four-day Operation Sindoor against India in May. Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of ISPR, told Bloomberg that recent Chinese platforms had shown strong performance and asserted that Pakistan had shot down seven Indian fighter jets without losing any of its own.
India’s armed forces, however, have strongly denied these claims. IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari stated that India destroyed 8–10 Pakistani fighter jets, including US-made F-16s and Chinese JF-17s, and also neutralized one surveillance aircraft. Indian precision strikes targeted Pakistan’s critical defense infrastructure and airstrips, dealing significant setbacks.
The conflict marked the first large-scale deployment of Chinese weapons by Pakistan, including PL-15 missiles, HQ-9P air defense systems, and JF-17 and J-10 fighter jets. Despite Pakistan’s claims, Indian indigenous systems such as the BrahMos supersonic missile and Akashteer air defense system were highly effective, rendering Chinese-supplied platforms largely ineffective.
The statements from Chaudhry come amid Pakistan’s continued defense reliance on China, which has invested heavily in the country under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Pakistani leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari, recently visited Chengdu, where J-10 jets are manufactured, highlighting the close military ties.
Observers also note Chaudhry’s background, as the son of a declared terrorist linked to Osama bin Laden, as part of Pakistan’s military messaging strategy. Independent evidence from Operation Sindoor clearly shows that Indian weapons outperformed the Chinese systems, challenging Pakistan’s official narrative.
Operation Sindoor demonstrates India’s strength in indigenous defense capabilities and highlights the limitations of Pakistan’s reliance on foreign weaponry during critical military operations.
