Operation Sindoor: India Says S-400 Downed Pakistani Aircraft 314 km Away

New Delhi | 14 Sep 2026

India’s S-400 air-defence system destroyed a Pakistani special-mission aircraft at a distance of 314 kilometres during Operation Sindoor, according to the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report 2025–26 released on 13 September.

S-400 Operation Sindoor engagement reached 314 kilometres

The Defence Ministry said Indian radars detected and tracked the aircraft before a long-range surface-to-air missile engaged it near the outer limit of the system’s operational range.

The report did not publicly identify the aircraft or disclose the missile variant used. It described the action as evidence that the Indian Air Force’s integrated air-defence network could engage high-value airborne targets operating deep inside Pakistani airspace.

Military target identified among civilian aircraft

According to the annual report, Pakistan kept parts of its civilian airspace open during the fighting, requiring Indian operators to distinguish military targets from commercial aircraft.

The Indian Air Force used its Integrated Air Command and Control System to combine information from military and civilian surveillance sensors. The network provided operators with a common air picture to identify, classify and track aerial activity before authorising an engagement.

The ministry said trained personnel ensured that civilian aircraft were not targeted during the hostilities. Pakistan has previously rejected several Indian accounts of the May 2025 confrontation and presented competing claims about aircraft and military losses.

India says Pakistani airbases and command centres were struck

The report said the Indian Air Force also targeted air-defence radars, command-and-control facilities, runways, hangars and other military infrastructure at locations including Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Murid, Sargodha, Jacobabad and Bholari.

Indian officials have previously said aircraft and airborne surveillance platforms were damaged or destroyed both in the air and on the ground. Pakistan has disputed India’s assessment of the confrontation, while independently verifiable operational evidence remains limited.

Operation Sindoor followed Pahalgam attack

India launched Operation Sindoor during the night of 6–7 May 2025 after 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack on 22 April. Indian forces initially struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir that New Delhi described as terrorist infrastructure.

Pakistan denied involvement in the Pahalgam attack and condemned the Indian strikes. The confrontation expanded into exchanges involving aircraft, missiles, drones and artillery before the two countries agreed to halt military action on 10 May 2025.

The Defence Ministry described India’s subsequent response as calibrated and punitive, saying it was intended to stop further escalation. Pakistan has maintained that it successfully defended itself and inflicted losses on Indian forces.