ECONOMYNEXT- Shares of China’s Avic group, which produces the Chengdu J-10C fighter has surged after claims by Pakistan that the fighter downed a disputed number of Indian Air Force aircraft including at least one Dassault Rafale.
In addition to pitting French defence technology against Chinese, the Pakistan-Indian hostilities have also brought into fore Swedish airborne radar, Russian air defence systems and Israeli-designed drones used by India.
Pakistan and India have also launched drones against each other.
India launched missile attacks against several targets in Pakistan on the night of May 06-07 after a massacre of civilians in Indian administered Kashmir by armed gunmen who came across the border.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has claimed that J-10C fighters with PL-15E air-to-air missiles downed IAF aircraft in the night of May 06-07.
Pakistan has claimed that three IAF Dassault Rafales, one Sukhoi Su-30 and one Mikoyan & Gurevich MiG 29 were downed.
The claims remain unverified and India has not commented on the matter, though there have been multiple reports of aircraft crashes.
BIG: It appears India indeed lost a Rafale fighter jet tonight, shot down by Pakistan.
Locals in Aklian Kalan village, Punjab, filmed parts of a French MICA missile still attached to its launcher— just 20 km from Bathinda AFS, home to No. 17 Rafale & No. 380 NETRA squadrons. pic.twitter.com/ylTA6KGW3l
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 7, 2025
Unverified social media footage of downed aircraft parts appears to show French markings and at least one of which may be a Rafale.
A vertical stabilizer bearing the characters BS-001, on social media pictures purportedly taken by Indian witnesses, corresponds to markings in a Rafale delivered to India.
India also has older Mirage 2000 aircraft.
Other pictures which look like a partially burnt SNECMA (Safran) M88 afterburning turbofan, which is used in the newer Rafale has also surfaced on social media.
🇮🇳 Wreckage discovered in Bathinda, India has been identified as likely belonging to a Snecma M88-2 turbofan engine, which powers the Indian Air Force’s Dassault Rafale Multirole Fighters.
The M88 engine distinguished by its unique nozzle screw pattern, rather than the M53… pic.twitter.com/PLFTiZwgBH
— Vanguard Intel Group 🛡 (@vanguardintel) May 7, 2025
Pakistani authorities have said its aircraft were supported by Chinese ZDK-03 and Swedish Saab 2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control systems.
Military observers say the strategy allows Pakistani jets to avoid switching on their own radars which increases the chances of them being detected by Indian defenses.
Shares of Avic Chengdu Aircraft Co Ltd and Avic XiAn Aircraft Industry Group Co Ltd have surged following the reported downing.
The India-Pakistan clashes is the first report of possible combat loss of a Rafale.
Shares of France’s Dassault Aviation, which make the Rafale dropped on May 07 but has since recovered some of the losses.
Meanwhile Pakistan and India have continued to trade drones and cross border shelling. (Colombo/May09/2025)
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