In the early morning of May 7, a historic air battle took place between the Indian and Pakistani air forces. The focus of this confrontation was two of the most advanced 4.5 generation fighters in South Asia: Rafale and J-10C.
Air Combat Between India and Pakistan: J-10C Temporarily Leads Rafale
In a significant escalation of the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has reportedly downed several Indian fighter jets, including a Dassault Rafale, during intense aerial engagements over the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. This marks one of the most severe confrontations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in recent years.
The Aerial Clash: A Historic Dogfight
On May 7, 2025, Indian and Pakistani fighter jets engaged in a prolonged aerial battle lasting over an hour. According to reports, the PAF successfully shot down three Indian aircraft: a Rafale, a MiG-29, and a Su-30MKI. The Rafale’s loss is particularly notable, as it is the first time the advanced French-made jet has been downed in combat. Pakistan claims that its Chinese-made Chengdu J-10 fighter jets were responsible for these victories. The United States has confirmed that at least two Indian aircraft, including a Rafale, were downed by the J-10C during the conflict. Reuters
Operation Sindoor: India’s Retaliatory Strikes
The aerial engagements followed India’s Operation Sindoor, a series of missile strikes targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan. India claims these sites were linked to groups responsible for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. Pakistan, however, denies any involvement in the attack and condemns India’s retaliatory strikes as acts of aggression.
Civilian Impact and International Concerns
The escalating conflict has led to significant civilian casualties on both sides. Pakistan reports at least 31 civilian deaths, while India confirms 16. The violence has disrupted daily life, with schools closed, flights suspended, and widespread panic in border regions. International leaders, including U.S. President Trump and the United Nations, have called for restraint and dialogue to prevent further escalation.
The Path Forward
As both nations continue to exchange hostilities, the international community watches closely, urging both sides to de-escalate tensions and engage in diplomatic dialogue. The use of advanced fighter jets like the Rafale and J-10C in combat underscores the growing sophistication of military technology in the region. The outcome of this conflict may have significant implications for future air combat strategies and defense procurement decisions worldwide.
The “air battle” between Pakistani and Indian fighter jets, in which Pakistani officials said five Indian planes were shot down, was the “largest and longest in recent air history”.
A total of 125 fighter jets fought fiercely for more than an hour, neither side’s aircraft leaving their airspace, air-to-air missile battles took place at distances sometimes greater than 160km.
At the heart of this confrontation are two of the most advanced 4.5 generation fighters in South Asia: the French-built Dassault Rafale and the Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C. Each aircraft represents a distinct philosophy in modern air combat. Of these, Pakistan’s J-10C is said to be leading 3-0 against India’s Rafale.
The Rafale, a twin-engine, delta-wing aircraft, is optimized for multi-role performance. It is powered by two Snecma M88-2 turbofan engines, reaching speeds of up to Mach 1.8, with a combat radius exceeding 1,850km.
The aircraft’s strengths lie in its sensor fusion and survivability systems, notably the RBE2-AA active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite, which provide 360-degree threat detection and countermeasures. The Rafale is also equipped with the MBDA Meteor missile, the world’s deadliest beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air weapon, with a range of over 150km.
Competing against it is the J-10 – the star of Pakistan’s recent modernization effort. This single-engine multirole fighter, powered by the WS-10B engine, reaches Mach 2 and has a digital flight control system.
The J-10C incorporates the KLJ-7A AESA radar and is compatible with China’s most advanced air-to-air missile: the PL-15.
The J-10C is not only a light attack fighter but also a platform designed to defeat opponents beyond visual range with radar guidance.
The PL-15 missile has been at the center of the debate surrounding this skirmish.
Developed by the Luoyang Optoelectronics Research Institute, the PL-15 missile is powered by a solid-fuel engine and is said to have a range of 200 to 300km. It has an active radar seeker for terminal guidance and inertial guidance with mid-flight datalink updates.
Its design emphasizes neutralizing all sophisticated electronic countermeasures and shooting down high-value airborne weapons, such as tankers and airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft.
Analysts see the PL-15’s existence as a direct response to threats from Western BVR missiles such as the AIM-120D and Meteor, and it could theoretically match or surpass it in range.
If a PL-15-equipped J-10C were to actually neutralize a Rafale in combat, the implications would be significant, not only indicating a shift in tactical air superiority but also a broader reordering of regional power dynamics.
While India fields a diverse and numerically superior air force – including Su-30MKIs, MiG-29s, Mirage 2000s and indigenous Tejas fighters – Pakistan’s focused investments in electronic warfare and missile range may have created the ability to challenge India’s technological advantage.
Such a scenario also signals the transformation of air warfare into a domain where electronic warfare, radar and missile range are more important than traditional air combat capabilities.
In that context, the Rafale’s superiority in maneuverability and survivability in close combat may not be enough in a scenario where the first shot, fired from a distance of more than 100km, will decide the outcome.
While the story has not been officially confirmed, its existence in the media is noteworthy. Until the wreckage is found, radar logs are released, or eyewitness accounts emerge, the truth about the Rafale’s fate remains speculative, as India has so far denied the information released by Pakistan.
But the incident—real or not—shows the rapidly evolving technological rivalry between India and Pakistan, and how fighters like the Rafale and J-10C, armed with weapons like the Meteor and PL-15, are redefining what air dominance means in 21st-century South Asia.
