Operation Sindoor: Inside India’s Precision Strikes That Crippled Pakistan’s Air Power

Delhi: From damaged F-16s and Swedish-made AWACS aircraft to shattered radar systems and command centres — India’s Operation Sindoor in May this year dealt a severe blow to multiple Pakistani Air Force (PAF) bases, leaving the country’s military scrambling for urgent repairs, exclusive documents and high-level confirmations accessed by CNN-News18 reveal.

According to the findings, the coordinated air strikes on May 9–10, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, devastated terrorist installations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation’s aftermath sharply contradicts Islamabad’s claims that none of its assets were hit.

The strikes reportedly damaged critical military infrastructure, including a Swedish-made Saab 2000 Erieye AWACS, a Lockheed C-130 transport aircraft, and at least four F-16 fighter jets. Several radar systems, command and control centres, and air defence installations were also targeted across multiple bases.

One of the most significant hits occurred at PAF Bholari Airbase, where an F-16 jet parked in a hangar was destroyed, killing five personnel, including a Squadron Leader and a Chief Technician. The Erieye AWACS, also damaged at Bholari, was later restored by US Air Force engineers flown in under emergency orders.

Damage Assessment by Base

• PAF Shahbaz Air Base (Jacobabad): Two F-16s destroyed inside hangars.

• Nur Khan Airbase (Rawalpindi): One F-16 and a C-130 hit in a precision strike.

• Sarghodha, Rahim Yar Khan, and Mushaf Airbases: Runways, hangars, and communication systems sustained heavy damage.

High-level Pakistani defence sources confirmed that between $400–$470 million in classified emergency funds were approved in late May for repair and modernisation. The United States reportedly barred China from participating in the repairs over concerns about technology transfer and security breaches, particularly regarding F-16 and C-130 platforms.

To accelerate the restoration process, the US deployed specialised teams from Al-Udeid Airbase (Doha), Al Dhafra (Abu Dhabi), and Bethesda (Maryland) after Field Marshal Asim Munir personally sought American assistance during meetings with US President Donald Trump and retired CENTCOM Chief Gen. Michael Kurilla.

Flight tracking data confirmed multiple US military transports — C-17s and C-130s — landing at Nur Khan Airbase between June and September, corroborating reports of covert American operations within Pakistan. The collaboration was later acknowledged when Pakistan awarded General Kurilla its highest military honour in July 2025.

Although most of the damage has since been repaired, sources indicate that Rahim Yar Khan Airbase remains non-operational due to persistent flooding in South Punjab. Meanwhile, the PAF is fast-tracking upgrades with a hybrid US–Chinese satellite-integrated radar system, aimed at closing critical gaps in its early-warning network.

The revelations underscore the precision, scale, and strategic impact of Operation Sindoor — an operation that not only exposed vulnerabilities in Pakistan’s air defences but also highlighted Islamabad’s growing dependence on US military support, even amid its expanding strategic ties with China.