In a striking revelation that underscores the evolving balance of airpower in South Asia, a former high-ranking official of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has publicly confirmed the loss of a vital airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform during an Indian precision strike—part of what has now come to be known as Operation Sindoor.
Speaking in a rare, candid interview with defence journalist Sohrab Barkat on the platform Frontalforce (shared via X, formerly Twitter), retired Air Marshal Masood Akhtar acknowledged that an Indian BrahMos missile targeted and damaged one of Pakistan’s SAAB 2000 Erieye AEW&C aircraft at Bholari Airbase on the night of May 9–10, 2025.
The admission marks a rare moment of transparency in Pakistan’s typically tight-lipped military narrative and could signal deeper ramifications for regional aerial doctrine and strategic deterrence.
Operation Sindoor—named after the iconic saffron hue of Indian military insignia—was reportedly a swift, multi-layered cruise missile assault executed by India in response to heightened border skirmishes and sustained aerial provocations over disputed airspace.
At the heart of the operation were BrahMos missiles, jointly developed by India and Russia, long regarded as the centerpiece of India’s stand-off precision strike capabilities. Traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 2.8, the missiles evaded Pakistan’s surface-to-air missile (SAM) network and struck deep inside high-value targets, including the Bholari Airbase, located roughly 70 kilometers northeast of Karachi.
Indian officials later released declassified satellite imagery showing direct hits on hangars and command-and-control centers, notably displaying fire damage to a specific structure known to house AEW&C assets.
The SAAB 2000 Erieye AEW&C system is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s air defense architecture. Mounted on a modified SAAB 2000 turboprop, the Erieye radar—built with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology—provides 450+ kilometer range surveillance, early threat detection, and real-time battle management.
Pakistan operates a fleet of nine Erieye platforms, which offer an essential edge in networked warfare by integrating with fighter squadrons such as the JF-17 Thunder and Chinese-origin J-10C. These platforms allow the Pakistan Air Force to intercept threats while remaining radio-silent, relying on encrypted data links to issue commands and target coordinates.
Their destruction or disablement is not just a loss of an aircraft—it is a temporary blindfolding of a sector of Pakistan’s air defense network.
“This strike hurt us more in perception than in numbers,” said Air Marshal (Rtd) Akhtar. “We can replace hardware. What’s harder to replace is the idea that our surveillance nets are impenetrable.”
The Indian military’s choice of Bholari as a target wasn’t random. The airbase is among the most sensitive and heavily fortified in Pakistan’s southern military theater. Home to several cutting-edge squadrons—including JF-17 Block III multirole fighters, equipped with Chinese PL-15 Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles—Bholari also serves as a hub for training, war games, and electronic warfare simulations.
This southern location allows PAF to monitor Indian Navy activity in the Arabian Sea and maintain rapid deployment options along the western coastline. It’s also a major logistical node for aerial resupply and troop movement, particularly in times of tension.
Destroying or degrading Bholari’s capabilities significantly hinders Pakistan’s ability to execute rapid-response operations in the south—a critical aspect of its two-front contingency planning.
Within hours of the attack, independent verification began pouring in. The New York Times, using imagery provided by Maxar Technologies, confirmed visible structural damage at multiple Pakistani military installations, particularly around hangars and hardened shelters.
The Washington Post further reported that six airbases, including Sargodha, Noor Khan, and Rahim Yar Khan, showed clear signs of bombardment. The extent of damage varied, but all had one thing in common: they were integral to Pakistan’s air defense and command backbone.
While Islamabad officially downplayed the strikes, referring to them as “cross-border sabotage attempts,” the satellite evidence and the retired air marshal’s acknowledgment told a different story—one of unprecedented airbase penetration.
For years, Pakistan has maintained a numerical advantage in AEW&C systems. Its current AEW fleet:
- 9 SAAB 2000 Erieye systems (of which one is now confirmed damaged)
- 4 ZDK-03 Karakoram Eagles (Chinese-made AWACS)
In contrast, the Indian Air Force fields:
- 3 IL-76 Phalcon AWACS, equipped with Israeli EL/W-2090 radar
- 2 DRDO NETRA AEW&C aircraft, based on the Embraer EMB-145 platform
India’s deficiency in AEW&C coverage—particularly over its western theater—has often been cited as a weakness. But the recent strike suggests a shift in doctrine: from compensating with surveillance to degrading the enemy’s eyes.
Instead of chasing parity in sensors, India may now focus on disabling Pakistan’s AEW&C grid at critical junctures.
PAF’s edge has historically been its execution of “silent ambushes.” A defining example came in late 2024, when J-10C fighters reportedly downed three Indian Rafales in a skirmish over the Rajouri sector. PAF jets remained under full electronic silence, engaging targets guided entirely via real-time updates from airborne Erieye and ZDK platforms.
This fusion of stealth, long-range radar, and encrypted communication allowed Pakistan to strike first—without warning.
With a confirmed Erieye now off the map, Pakistan’s ability to replicate this tactic in the southern sector has been severely weakened. Any gap in coverage opens windows of opportunity for Indian ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) and tactical penetrations.
Operation Sindoor isn’t just a tactical win for India—it’s a strategic message. The targeting of airborne sensors over fighters or surface radars marks a shift in military thinking.
In the past, air campaigns aimed to shoot down enemy aircraft or destroy runways. But in 2025, dominance comes from blinding your opponent—crippling their ability to detect, decide, and direct.
“Air superiority today isn’t just about dogfights,” said retired Indian Air Vice Marshal K.S. Rajan. “It’s about who controls the battlefield’s awareness. AEW&Cs are the gods’ eyes. Take them out, and you blind the entire army.”
Pakistan’s options now range from diplomatic protest to kinetic response. Replacing the damaged Erieye unit will take time—despite strong ties with Sweden and China, procurement and integration cycles are slow, especially for strategic platforms.
Some analysts believe Pakistan may lean more heavily on its Chinese-built ZDK-03 Eagles, which offer similar functionality but are limited in number and payload capacity.
Others predict an asymmetric retaliation—possibly through non-linear tactics like GPS jamming, cyber intrusions, or naval disruption in the Arabian Sea.
Meanwhile, Indian analysts are calling for a continued focus on “sensor warfare”—a systematic campaign to degrade the PAF’s ISR capability, thereby reducing its effectiveness without risking full-scale conflict.
Operation Sindoor might be remembered not for the missiles it launched, but for the shift it heralded: from platform-on-platform confrontation to deep-system warfare. In modern South Asia, the victor will be the side that can see first, decide fastest, and strike from farthest away.
