In an audacious escalation of the long-standing Indo-Pakistani rivalry, Pakistan has claimed that it successfully conducted a precision strike on India’s most advanced air defence installation—the Russian-made S-400 “Triumf” system—stationed at Adampur Airbase in Punjab. The alleged strike, carried out by Chinese-supplied CM-400AKG hypersonic missiles launched from JF-17 “Thunder” multirole fighter jets, has triggered a high-stakes regional standoff, with both countries presenting conflicting narratives and zero concession.
On May 10, Pakistan released high-definition video footage showing a JF-17 aircraft loaded with two CM-400AKG missiles taking off from an undisclosed airbase. The video, which quickly circulated across military forums and open-source intelligence communities, was accompanied by a statement from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The statement boldly declared that the hypersonic missile strike had “fully neutralized” India’s S-400 radar system at Adampur.
ISPR went further, calling the operation a “strategic breakthrough,” and presenting satellite imagery and radar analysis to support the claim that Pakistan had successfully targeted and disabled the 92N6E Grave Stone fire-control radar, a critical component of the S-400 system known informally as the “cheeseboard radar.”
India, however, has flatly denied that any such strike occurred or that the Adampur S-400 system suffered any degradation. In a calculated move aimed at controlling the narrative, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Adampur Airbase following a brief ceasefire agreement. During a nationally televised address, Modi stood in front of a fully intact S-400 missile launcher and delivered a firm rebuttal:
“You claim to have destroyed our S-400 system at Adampur—yet here it is behind me.”
While the speech was intended to project strength and maintain public confidence, defence analysts quickly noticed something strange: the radar component was conspicuously absent from the scene. The launcher alone, devoid of the system’s radar, may have inadvertently lent credence to Pakistan’s claim that the radar array was the real target—and possibly the real casualty.
Christopher Clary, a well-respected U.S.-based expert on South Asian security affairs, fanned the flames of speculation with a carefully worded social media post:
“While there is still no concrete evidence of Pakistani success against the S-400, Pakistan would be at least as likely, if not more so, to target the command centre or the radar than the launcher.”
His remarks were immediately seized upon by Pakistani defence analysts, who argued that Modi’s stagecraft—deliberately showcasing only the launcher—amounted to a subtle, perhaps inadvertent, admission of a radar loss. “The radar is the brain of the S-400,” commented one retired Pakistani air marshal. “You don’t need to destroy the whole system if you can blind it.”
The May 11 tri-service briefing by the Pakistani military further escalated the narrative. Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmad claimed that Pakistan had been monitoring the S-400 deployment through satellite surveillance long before hostilities broke out. The challenge, he said, was not defeating the S-400 with the CM-400AKG missile, but “finding it” in a landscape where the system is designed to be highly mobile and network-integrated.
To support this, Pakistani authorities released what they described as satellite imagery pinpointing the unique radar signature of the Grave Stone unit, allegedly tracked and locked by Pakistani forces in the lead-up to the strike.
The underlying message was clear: Pakistan had not only achieved a tactical success but had also pierced the veil of invincibility surrounding the S-400—one of the most sophisticated air defence systems in the world.
Developed by China and exported primarily to Pakistan, the CM-400AKG is a high-supersonic or low-hypersonic air-to-surface missile capable of terminal speeds exceeding Mach 5. Its standoff range and speed profile make it a serious threat to even the most hardened targets. While classified technically as high-supersonic, many analysts describe its performance as “borderline hypersonic” due to its velocity and evasive trajectory.
The missile is specifically designed to penetrate layered air defence systems. Its reported accuracy, combined with the strike footage and satellite evidence presented by Pakistan, has forced military planners in New Delhi to confront a possibility they had long deemed unlikely: that even an elite asset like the S-400 is not impervious.
India’s acquisition of the S-400 from Russia marked a cornerstone in its air defence modernization. Valued at over $5.4 billion, the deal covers five full regiments, each featuring multiple launchers, radar systems, and command units. Capable of simultaneously tracking and engaging up to 300 aerial targets, the system’s range spans up to 400 km, providing deep aerial coverage across strategic borders with Pakistan and China.
The radar suite—especially the Grave Stone fire-control radar and Big Bird surveillance radar—forms the foundation of the S-400’s accuracy and effectiveness. Without them, the launchers are functionally blind.
Despite Islamabad’s triumphant tone, independent verification remains elusive. No third-party imagery or intelligence has yet corroborated the radar’s destruction. India continues to assert full operational readiness of its S-400 batteries. A defence ministry source told local media, “There has been no confirmed breach or degradation. All systems are on high alert and functioning.”
Even so, the lack of radar visibility during Modi’s address, combined with the precision of Pakistan’s targeting claims, has left room for doubt.
If proven accurate, this would represent the first known successful strike against an operationally deployed S-400 unit anywhere in the world—a watershed moment in modern warfare and a wake-up call to military strategists globally.
What this incident underscores more than anything is the growing effectiveness of asymmetric strike platforms. A relatively low-cost fighter like the JF-17, equipped with high-speed Chinese munitions, may have disrupted a billion-dollar defence asset. It’s a scenario that shifts conventional power dynamics and highlights the fragility of even top-tier systems when up against speed, stealth, and strategy.
Moreover, the narrative war is just as potent. Pakistan has made transparency part of its weaponry—releasing imagery, detailing targeting processes, and managing information in a way that amplifies its psychological and diplomatic impact.
India, meanwhile, has remained guarded, perhaps for strategic reasons. But silence can also create ambiguity, which adversaries can exploit.
The standoff has caught the attention of global powers. Washington, which had warned India about CAATSA sanctions when it signed the deal with Russia, now watches closely to assess whether U.S. air assets might face similar vulnerabilities.
China, the provider of the missile tech, is likely monitoring the incident with satisfaction. If the CM-400AKG was indeed effective, it’s a major selling point for its growing military-industrial complex—and a subtle warning to adversaries.
Whether or not the Adampur radar was physically destroyed, Pakistan may have already achieved a different kind of victory: psychological dominance in a volatile standoff. By forcing India into a defensive posture and sowing doubts about the invincibility of its best system, Islamabad has reshaped the battlefield narrative.
