New Delhi. India had launched Operation Sindoor to avenge the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam last year. In Operation Sindoor, not only the terrorist organizations of Pakistan but also the army there suffered huge losses. Now the Defense Ministry has told in its annual report what was the achievement of the Indian Air Force in Operation Sindoor.
In its annual report 2025-26, the Ministry of Defense highlights the Longest Surface-to-Air Kill.
In an operation carried out by an S400 unit, a Pakistani special mission aircraft was successfully targeted and destroyed from a distance of 314 km. With this operation, IAF rewrote… pic.twitter.com/XoZvZfooEZ
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2026
According to the Defense Ministry report, the Indian Air Force shot down Pakistan's special mission aircraft 314 kilometers away with the S-400 air defense system. This plane was 200 kilometers away inside Pakistan. Whereas, the place from where the S-400 missile was fired was about 114 kilometers away from the Pakistani border. Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh was the first to share the information about this achievement with the media. According to the report, Operation Sindoor also showed that distance is no guarantee of safety in air combat in modern times. With effective radar networks and long-range missiles, any threat can be destroyed from a distance. The Defense Ministry report said that during Operation Sindoor, the enemy's belief that greater distance would protect it from Indian Air Force action was challenged. According to the report, during that time, Indian radars tracked the threat very accurately and the S-400 was successfully guided and the Pakistani aircraft was shot down. This action has important strategic importance.
This sent a clear message that the offensive and air defense resources of the Indian Air Force can reach far and wide in Pakistan, not just the border areas. This operation challenged the enemy's belief that it could survive with sufficient distance in the airspace. Let us tell you that after Operation Sindoor, PM Narendra Modi went to Adampur Air Force Station. There he met the deployed air warriors and appreciated their role in the military conflict. PM Modi also talked about the courage and strong determination of the Indian Air Force personnel. 219 Indian Air Force personnel were awarded the President's Gallantry Medal for displaying indomitable bravery in Operation Sindoor. Apart from this many others were awarded high gallantry medals. Operation Sindoor was launched after midnight on 6 May. First, important hideouts of terrorists were destroyed. When Pakistan Army tried to take revenge, India destroyed all its radars. Also caused destruction at 11 airbases.