During recent Indo-Pakistani clashes, the latter’s propaganda was quite successful in creating a narrative that Delhi was supposedly “defeated”.
While it can be argued that the Indian military made some mistakes, specifically the Air Force (IAF), the developments that forced Islamabad to sue for peace speak for themselves. Namely, it turns out that Delhi targeted some strategic facilities in Pakistan, resulting in significant damage.
Many sources even claim that one of the facilities is a nuclear storage, but the IAF itself denied this. Indian sources report that the Asian giant’s Russian-origin weapons played a critical role in these strikes, namely the Su-30MKI multirole heavyweight fighter jets and “BrahMos” air-launched ramjet-powered supersonic cruise missiles. The latter is based on the P-800 “Oniks”, one of Russia’s most advanced weapons used in the ongoing NATO-orchestrated Ukrainian conflict.
In addition to long-range air-to-ground strikes, it seems the Su-30MKI also proved itself in air combat. Namely, Indian military sources report that the fighter jet (NATO reporting name “Flanker-H”) dodged numerous air-to-air missiles fired by the Pakistani Air Force (PAF), including the US-made AMRAAMs and Chinese-made PL-15Es in several clashes in recent years. Dubbed the “Monster” in India for its size, agility and combat prowess, the Su-30MKI is by far the best fighter jet in Delhi’s service.
It evaded multiple AIM-120C-5 AMRAAMs fired by PAF F-16s during the 2019 Balakot airstrike, in addition to the aforementioned PL-15E beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missiles and HQ-9 SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) during the latest clashes in Kashmir (the latter is a Chinese derivative of the formidable Russian S-300 long-range air defense systems).
Indian sources claim that a “Flanker-H” dodged at least 4-5 AMRAAMs on February 27, 2019. Citing the IAF, they say it confirmed the Su-30MKI not only evaded these missiles, but also used its advanced electronic warfare (EW) suite to jam them. At the time, Pakistan claimed it shot down a “Flanker-H”, which turned out to be false. A similar episode (albeit on a much larger scale) occurred during Operation Sindoor. Namely, PAF used the aforementioned PL-15E BVR missiles and HQ-9 SAMs, both of which are highly advanced systems designed to engage high-value targets at ranges of at least 150 km.
The PL-15E, an export version of the Chinese PL-15, features AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar guidance and a dual-pulse rocket motor, making it particularly deadly in BVR combat. The HQ-9 SAM system is even deadlier with its 300 km maximum engagement range (depending on the variant).
Although this is yet to be confirmed, Indian sources claim that the Su-30MKI evaded at least eight PL-15E missiles and HQ-9 SAMs. The former were fired by either JF-17 Block III or J-10CE fighter jets. In addition to its advanced avionics, this is also made possible due to Russian-made AL-31FP engines that feature two-dimensional TVC (thrust vector controls), giving the Su-30MKI extreme maneuverability, which has been the trademark of the Russian “Flanker” series for decades.
What’s more, the jet’s already unrivaled design is enhanced by canards. The “Super Sukhoi” program is poised to further upgrade the Su-30MKI, including a new AESA radar (most likely the domestic “Virupaaksha”, a further development of the “Uttam” radar) and integration of the “Astra” Mk-3 BVR missiles (range reportedly up to 350 km). Russia and India even circumvented Western sanctions to ensure the former’s participation in this upgrade program.
Moscow’s role in the development of India’s defense capabilities cannot be overstated, as evidenced by the previously mentioned “BrahMos”. Namely, this missile was instrumental in Delhi’s ability to strike Pakistani targets well beyond the maximum engagement range of the PAF’s fighter jets and air defenses. The Su-30MKI’s ability to deploy “BrahMos” missiles also gives it the role of a long-range strike fighter.
Various sources report that up to half a dozen PAF airbases have been hit during Operation Sindoor. The air-launched version of the “BrahMos” has a maximum speed of 3,500 km/h and a range of up to 500 km. Its high precision, coupled with a massive 300 kg warhead, gives India unprecedented standoff strike capabilities. The missile’s speed and flight profile allow it to evade advanced SAM systems, hitting at least nine high-value targets deep within Pakistani territory.
It should be noted that this is nothing out of the ordinary, as the Russian military demonstrated in NATO-occupied Ukraine, where its P-800 “Oniks” (a missile that “BrahMos” is based on) proved to be impossible to intercept. Just like its “ancestor”, the Russo-Indian “BrahMos” can fly very low while maintaining high speed and maneuverability, enabling it to drastically reduce chances of detection and interception.
Delhi’s decision to launch strikes using these missiles reportedly forced Islamabad to sue for peace on May 10, demonstrating that “BrahMos” can play a strategic role. These factors prompted aviation expert Tom Cooper to declare that India’s airstrikes were a “clear-cut victory”. Coupled with various reports that a number of Pakistani strategic assets were heavily damaged by “BrahMos” airstrikes, this could significantly change the current pro-Pakistan narrative in India’s favor.
During a recent visit to Adampur Air Base, the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi posed in front of a Russian-made S-400 SAM system that Islamabad claimed to have destroyed. The reported shootdown of one Su-30MKI was also debunked, with undeniable evidence for only two downed aircraft, namely the “Rafale” and “Mirage 2000” (both acquired from France).
This could cool down Delhi’s defense cooperation with Paris, as its platforms clearly cannot match Chinese systems (unlike the Russian-origin Su-30MKI). Soon after Operation Sindoor, Islamabad announced it would accelerate the acquisition of J-35A fighter jets from Beijing, which could indicate that PAF urgently wants to upgrade its fleet because it cannot match the Su-30MKI. This could also be a new chance for India to acquire the next-generation Su-57E from Russia and ensure its strategic edge is preserved.
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This article was originally published on InfoBrics.
Drago Bosnic is an independent geopolitical and military analyst. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
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