Pakistan Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, has claimed the downing of multiple advanced combat aircraft, including Rafale and SU-30 MKI jets, and the neutralisation of S-400 air defence systems during an operation in May 2025, referred to as “Marka-e-Haq”.
The Air Chief”s statement was delivered during a ceremony at Air Headquarters commemorating the seventh anniversary of Operation Swift Retort, an event he described as a landmark demonstration of resolve in modern air warfare.
According to the Air Chief, the operation last May was a response to a challenge against Pakistan”s sovereignty, involving what he described as the first full-spectrum, multi-domain operations by the PAF. He specified that the engagement resulted in the destruction of Mirage-2000 and MiG-29 aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Systems, in addition to the Rafale and SU-30 platforms, and included strikes deep within hostile territory and the disablement of an S-400 system and its command and control centre.
Reflecting on the 2019 event, the Air Chief asserted that seven years ago, an aggressor had misjudged Pakistan”s resolve by challenging its sovereignty. He described Operation Swift Retort as a “measured broad daylight response” that successfully re-established credible deterrence against a numerically superior opponent.
Addressing the current security environment, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu highlighted the PAF”s extensive modernisation and indigenisation programme, initiated in March 2021. He stated that despite financial limitations, the force is transitioning into a next-generation air arm by recalibrating its operational doctrine and inducting advanced capabilities, including domestically developed unmanned systems, electronic warfare, and cyber assets, to create a “home-grown multi-domain Kill Chain”.
While emphasising that “Pakistan is a responsible country which desires peace with honour,” the Air Chief reaffirmed the force”s commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty. He concluded that the PAF would continue to provide credible deterrence and maintain a vigilant yet responsible defence posture.