BEJEING (Kashmir English): In a symbolic display of military friendship and tactical camaraderie, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China has painted kill marks in homage to the recent air battle successes of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over the Indian Air Force (IAF) on one of its J–10C fighters.
Images that have proliferated on social media capture the kill marks, which indicate the destruction of five Indian fighter jets during an aerial clash on May 6–7, 2025.
This aerial clash, which is now confirmed by PAF public relations, occurred after Indian aircraft had purportedly engaged in missile strikes on civilian targets inside Pakistan — a move that elicited a swift and accurate response from Pakistan’s airpower.
The existence of these kill marks on a PLAAF aircraft illustrates the increasing military cooperation between China and Pakistan, particularly regarding joint operations, defense technology transfer, and training.
Defense analysts read this not just as a mark of respect, but as a signal of strategic solidarity with shared regional threats. The J-10C and the JF-17 Thunder were the focus of the operation, and given the unique radar capabilities and beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile potential of the J-10C, a leading defense analysis suggested its presence was key to why the PAF was able to quickly neutralize enemy assets.
The Killmark Details
According to visuals and data released, the PLAAF J-10C displays the following IAF aircraft symbols as a tribute to PAF’s successful engagement:
- 3x Rafale
- 1x Su-30MKI
- 1x MiG-29UPG
However, Pakistan Air Force’s updated official scorecard details six confirmed Indian losses in the May 2025 encounter:
- 3x Rafale
- 1x MiG-29UPG
- 1x Su-30MKI (shot down by HQ-9B HIMAD air defense system)
- 1x Mirage-2000H
The sixth aircraft, a Mirage-2000H, reportedly went down shortly after violating Pakistani airspace and was targeted by precision strikes from a JF-17 Thunder squadron.
The incident, by the largest number of assets used in engagement since the Balakot-Pulwama standoff in 2019, has generated shockwaves within the global defence community, not least due to the involvement of, and perceived loss of, India’s frontline Rafale fighter jets, which many believe changed the game for the IAF.
While the Indian Ministry of Defence has not acknowledged the loss of aircraft during the May engagement, the increasing online censorship and absence of footage from standard Indian media sources have only exacerbated speculation about the extent of the losses.
Pakistani officials reiterate that the PAF’s response was purely defensive and restrained – it was initiated as a result of what they termed an “unprovoked aggression towards civilian infrastructure.”
Military officials are appearing to study this new episode with the seriousness many are describing as a watershed moment in South Asian air combat history.
The event has raised questions about the effectiveness of India‘s high-end fighter procurement and command-and-control systems. When videos of the Chinese J-10C with IAF killmarks began circulating, it became harder to dismiss the narrative of a joint message from Islamabad and Beijing to New Delhi.
