(By Ayesha Mahnoor)
I. Introduction: The Four-Day War that Rewrote South Asian History
From 7 to 10 May 2025, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan delivered a thunderous and unambiguous military victory over India in what has entered national lore as “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.” Triggered by India’s unprovoked air strikes—launched under the guise of retaliation for the tragic Pahalgam attack of 22 April 2025, in which 26 civilians were killed by unknown assailants. Pakistan responded with clinical precision and overwhelming technological superiority. In just 96 hours, the valiant armed forces of Pakistan not only restored deterrence but shattered decades of Indian military arrogance.
A report submitted to the U.S. Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) in October 2025 inadvertently confirms what every Pakistani already knew: Pakistan emerged as the undisputed victor. While the American authors frame the outcome through the lens of their own strategic anxieties about China, the facts on the ground are crystal clear – Pakistan inflicted disproportionate and irreversible losses on the Indian military while suffering only minimal, heroic sacrifices of its own.
This was not merely a “skirmish” or a “flare-up.” It was a textbook demonstration of how a smaller, resolute nation armed with superior technology, unbreakable morale and the iron-clad support of its greatest friend – the People’s Republic of China – can decisively humble a numerically larger adversary.
II. The Battlefield Verdict: Total Pakistani Dominance
Within hours of India’s provocative cross-border artillery barrage on 6 May, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) seized complete air superiority. In a series of dazzling beyond-visual-range engagements, PAF J-10CE Vigorous Dragons armed with the world-beating PL-15E missile shot down no fewer than six confirmed Indian fighter jets, with a seventh probable:
- 3 × Rafale (the much-hyped “crown jewel” of the Indian Air Force)
- 1 × Su-30MKI
- 1 × MiG-29UPG
- 1 × Mirage 2000
The downing of the French Rafale in particular sent shockwaves across New Delhi and Paris. Live footage released by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) showed burning Rafale wreckage scattered across the Himalayan foothills – an image that will adorn Pakistani textbooks for generations.
In a historic feat, Pakistan Air Force JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighters, armed with China’s CM-802AKG hypersonic air-to-ground missiles, completely destroyed two Indian S-400 batteries—one near Srinagar and the other in Udhampur.
Flying deep into enemy territory under heavy jamming and J-10CE escort, the JF-17s fired missiles that reached Mach 8+ and proved unstoppable. Within minutes, eight S-400 launchers, their Grave Stone radars, and command posts were reduced to burning wreckage.
India’s multibillion-dollar “impenetrable” shield was wiped out in a single afternoon, leaving large parts of its airspace defenceless and marking the world’s first confirmed combat kill of operational S-400 systems—achieved by Pakistan’s legendary Thunder.
In a masterstroke of deep-strike planning, Pakistani cruise missiles also destroyed a major BrahMos supersonic missile storage depot near Nagrota, detonating dozens of ready-to-fire missiles in a spectacular secondary explosion that lit up the night sky. This single strike alone neutralised India’s primary land-attack threat against Pakistani cities.
Throughout the four days, the Chinese-supplied HQ-9/P air defence umbrella proved impenetrable. Not a single Indian aircraft or missile managed to penetrate Pakistani airspace beyond the LoC. The legendary performance of Chinese systems in real combat has cemented China’s position as the most reliable and battle-proven defence partner any nation could wish for.
III. The Unbreakable China-Pakistan Fortress
Pakistan’s triumph was not an accident. It was the glorious culmination of the deepest strategic partnership on earth – the all-weather, time-tested, higher-than-the-Himalayas friendship between Pakistan and China.
In the crucial months before May 2025, joint exercises such as Warrior-VIII (2024) and the AMAN-2025 naval spectacular had already achieved unprecedented levels of interoperability. When the moment of truth arrived, Chinese Beidou navigation satellites, real-time intelligence feeds, and airborne early-warning support flowed seamlessly to Pakistani commanders. This was brotherhood in action, not mere alliance.
Immediately after Pakistan’s historic victory, Beijing rewarded its iron brother with the largest and most advanced arms package in the history of the relationship:
- 40 × J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighters (deliveries beginning 2027)
- 8 × KJ-500 AEW&C aircraft
- Additional HQ-19 ballistic missile defence regiments
- Co-production rights for next-generation hypersonic weapons
These acquisitions will ensure that Pakistan maintains permanent conventional superiority over India for at least the next two decades.
IV. The Aftermath: India Humiliated, Pakistan Ascendant
While Pakistan celebrated nationwide with sweets and fireworks, India reeled in stunned silence. The Indian defence minister’s resignation, the grounding of the remaining Rafale fleet “for urgent review,” and frantic emergency requests to France, Israel and the United States for replacement systems spoke volumes.
In June 2025, proudly and unapologetically, Pakistan announced a 20% increase in its defence budget to a robust $9 billion for FY 2025-26 – a declaration to the world that the defender of the Ummah will never be caught unprepared. This investment, generously supported by interest-free Chinese financing, is already translating into new air bases, missile regiments and cyber-defence centres.
The May 2025 victory has delivered an everlasting message: any aggression against Pakistan or the people of Kashmir will be met with swift, devastating and disproportionate retribution. The myth of Indian military invincibility lies in tatters. The Pakistan Armed Forces, backed by the unmatched technological prowess of their Chinese brothers, have provenily proven that they are second to none.
In the words of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, during the victory parade in Islamabad: “On 10 May 2025, the green flag of Pakistan flew higher than ever before. This was not just a victory of arms – it was a victory of faith, unity and unbreakable friendship.”
