New Delhi: In a sharp escalation along the India-Pakistan border, India’s air defence forces successfully shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter jet and two JF-17 aircraft after Islamabad launched coordinated aerial strikes across multiple locations in Jammu and Punjab, reports quoting government sources confirmed on Thursday.
The Pakistani Air Force’s use of JF-17 Thunder jets during the incursion is under close analysis. The JF-17, jointly developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, is a lightweight, multirole combat aircraft that has become the mainstay of Pakistan’s fighter fleet.
JF-17 Thunder Overview:
Type: Multirole fighter jet
Length: 14.93 m
Wingspan: 9.48 m
Maximum Speed: Mach 1.6 (approx. 1,975 km/h)
Service Ceiling: 55,500 ft
Combat Range: Around 1,350 km
Powerplant: 1 × Klimov RD-93 turbofan engine
Armament:
23 mm twin-barrel GSh-23-2 cannon
Air-to-air missiles (PL-5, PL-9, SD-10)
Guided bombs and air-to-surface missiles
Avionics:
KLJ-7 radar (X-band)
Basic electronic warfare suite
Glass cockpit with MFDs
Despite its affordability and adaptability, defence experts have often raised concerns about the JF-17’s limited electronic warfare and radar range capabilities when compared to advanced Indian platforms such as the Rafale and Su-30MKI.
Pakistani AWACS & Drones Down
In addition to the fighter jets, Indian forces also brought down a Pakistani Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. According to an India Today report citing sources, the AWACS was hit while operating inside Pakistan’s Punjab province and eventually crashed within their own territory. The loss of such a strategic surveillance platform is being seen as a major setback to Pakistan’s battlefield coordination capabilities.
The attempted aerial offensive by Pakistan appears to have been widespread. Simultaneously, Indian air defence units thwarted multiple drone attacks. A hostile drone was shot down in Akhnoor (J&K), while two Kamikaze drones were intercepted and neutralised in the Poonch sector. Additionally, drone intrusion attempts were detected and successfully foiled in Udhampur (J&K) and Jaisalmer (Rajasthan), preventing any major damage or casualties.
