S-400 destroyed Pakistani aircraft at 314 km during Operation Sindoor: Defence Ministry report

An S-400 air-defence unit of the Indian Air Force destroyed a Pakistani special-mission aircraft at a distance of 314 km during Operation Sindoor, marking one of the longest surface-to-air engagements claimed by India, according to the Defence Ministry’s Annual Report for 2025-26 released on Sunday (September 13, 2026).

The report described the engagement as a demonstration of the IAF’s long-range air-defence capability, saying it challenged the adversary’s belief that distance could provide protection from Indian air-defence systems.

“Indian radars tracked the threat in silence”, and a long-range surface-to-air missile was guided to its target at the far end of its engagement envelope, the report said. The operation, it added, demonstrated that targets at considerable distances were within the reach of the IAF’s air-defence architecture.

The report said Prime Minister Narendra Modi subsequently visited Air Force Station Adampur on May 12, 2025, and commended the air warriors involved in the operation. It also noted that 219 Presidential Gallantry Awards were awarded to IAF personnel on August 15, 2025, for their role during the operation.

The engagement was part of a broader integrated air-defence effort during the four-day conflict from May 7to 10, 2025. The IAF, which is responsible for the country’s air defence, exercised centralised control and coordination through its indigenous Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS).

According to the report, the IACCS acted as the foundational framework for integrated air-defence operations by integrating military and civil surveillance sensors and providing stakeholders with a common Recognised Air Situation Picture.

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Operations were centrally controlled through IAF Networked Tactical Nodes at multiple locations. These nodes played a key role in the identification and classification of aerial targets, with trained operators ensuring that civil aircraft were not engaged during the hostilities, the report said.

The report also alleged that Pakistan kept its civil airspace open during the conflict, including the operation of civil flights during hostile action. In contrast, it said, India’s conduct was aimed at ensuring that international air traffic was not put at risk.

The IAF also carried out strikes against Pakistani air-defence radars, command-and-control centres and military infrastructure at locations including Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Murid, Sargodha, Jacobabad and Bholari, according to the report.

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The Defence Ministry said Pakistan had, between May 8 and 10, carried out escalatory actions targeting military assets as well as civilian infrastructure, places of worship, schools and medical facilities.

India’s response, the report said, remained “calibrated but punitive”, with the objective of “demonstrative compellence” using precise military action to compel the adversary to halt further escalation.

Following the precision strikes, Pakistan called for a cessation of hostilities, it said.