An air battle between Indian and Pakistani warplanes has captivated the world, sparking international interest, with defense experts and military analysts from around the world scrutinizing the unprecedented real-world fight between next-generation combat planes and air-to-air missile systems. The US defense sources report cited by Reuters states that there was high confidence that Pakistan had used the Chinese-made J-10 aircraft to launch air-to-air missiles against Indian fighter jets.

Chinese J-10 Vs French Rafale: A Global Case Study

US, Chinese, and European militaries are said to be closely watching the consequences of the encounter. In the spotlight of the analysis are two air-to-air missiles, China's PL-15 and Europe's Meteor, both considered to be state-of-the-art in their category. "Air warfare communities in China, US and several European countries will be extremely interested to try and get as much ground truth as they can on tactics, techniques, procedures, what kit was used, what worked and what didn't," said Douglas Barrie, Senior Fellow for Military Aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). While there has been no official confirmation of the exact weapons deployed during the clash, social media posts suggest a possible encounter between the PL-15 and Meteor missiles. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated to Reuters that, "The PL-15 is a big problem. It is something that the US military pays a lot of attention to."

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Missile Performance And Pilot Tactics Under Scrutiny

Military analysts point out that information from such engagements is crucial, not only for assessing hardware but also for learning about tactics, pilot training, and battlefield conditions. "There will be audits of what works and what doesn't work, but I think the other overlay is the proverbial fog of war," said Byron Callan, a Washington-based defense expert and managing partner of Capital Alpha Partners. US arms companies are getting constant feedback about how their products are working in the war in Ukraine, he said."So I absolutely expect the same to be the case with India's European suppliers, and Pakistan and China are probably sharing the same feedback. If the PL-15 is working as advertised or better than expected, the Chinese would like to hear that."

Western defense officials are also trying to ascertain if Pakistan employed the export version of the PL-15, which was unveiled in 2021, or a more advanced variant used by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Defense manufacturers such as Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the Rafale fighter jet, and MBDA, the European consortium that developed the Meteor missile, have thus far declined to comment on the incident. Yet sources indicate internal assessments are already in progress.

Future Implications For Global Air Power

Already, US is working on the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile with Lockheed Martin, partially as a counter to China's expanding capabilities with the PL-15. At the same time, European nations are considering upgrading the Meteor midway through its service life, perhaps improving its propulsion and guidance system, although progress has reportedly been slow. While tensions heat up in the Indo-Pacific and global powers gear up for potential hotspots, the recent India-Pakistan aerial fight provides a high-impact case study in the future of air warfare.

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