New Delhi: During the high-stakes Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force (IAF) reportedly intercepted a Pakistani missile from a distance of 314 kilometres using the S-400 ‘Triumph’ system. Moscow-based security strategist Alexey Mikhailov Petrenko also described India’s reported strike on a Pakistani AWACS aircraft as credible and technically precise, highlighting the capabilities of the S-400 system.
He said that the S-400 ‘Triumph’ system’s performance is consistent with its proven capabilities, as seen in the Russia-Ukraine war. The Russian expert confirmed the operation days after IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh detailed the strikes conducted on the night of May 9-10.
Dismissing doubts raised by Western analysts, Petrenko described the interception as part of the S-400’s ‘area-denial’ strategy. He referred to a similar instance in 2022 when the Russian S-300V4 system shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet from 217 kilometres, emphasising that long-range interceptions are a standard capability, not an anomaly.
AWACS Downed From 314 Kilometres
According to Air Chief Marshal Singh, the IAF’s S-400 unit stationed in Punjab launched a 40N6E missile, successfully targeting the Pakistani Air Force’s Saab 2000 ‘Erieye’ AWACS aircraft at a distance of 314 kilometres. The AWACS had been flying over the Dinga region of Pakistan’s Punjab province.
This strike is being recognised as one of the longest-range surface-to-air missile kills in the world.
The interception dealt a significant blow to Pakistan’s command-and-control capabilities, giving Indian fighter jets a strategic advantage.
NDTV reported on December 6 that another operation during the same period targeted Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets assigned to protect the AWACS. One JF-17 was destroyed near Sialkot, over 200 kilometres away.
Operation Sindoor, which lasted four days, inflicted heavy losses on the Pakistan Air Force. Reports indicate that six aircraft were destroyed using the S-400 system, and a separate BrahMos missile strike eliminated another AWACS at Bholari Airbase.
Defense experts estimate that these strikes caused losses exceeding $500 million and reduced Pakistan’s airborne early warning capabilities by nearly 22 percent.
IAF Strategy Praised By Russian Analyst
Petrenko also lauded the IAF for its precision and strategic discipline. He highlighted the ‘shoot-and-scoot’ tactics, combined with low-radar signatures, which allowed the air force to strike accurately while evading enemy anti-radiation missiles.
“These were not random shots. They were highly precise military actions executed under challenging conditions. While we manufacture the weapons, the Indian Air Force employs them with extraordinary skill,” he said.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
