US report says Pakistan’s military success in May clash with India

WASHINGTON: A report submitted to the US Congress has stated that Pakistan achieved “military superiority” over India during the four-day conflict that took place in May this year.

The report, presented on Tuesday by the US–China Economic and Security Review Commission, said Pakistan’s military performance showed how effective Chinese weapons were in real combat. The commission reviews how US–China economic and security ties affect American national security.

At first, Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian aircraft, later increasing the number to seven. Pakistan also said it did not lose any of its own planes. According to Islamabad, after hitting three Indian airbases, it targeted 26 Indian positions. Former US President Donald Trump recently claimed that eight Indian aircraft were effectively downed.

The report also said that China used the May conflict as a chance to test and improve its defensive systems. It highlighted China’s involvement, noting that the world paid attention because Pakistan depended heavily on Chinese weapons and may have received Chinese intelligence support.

India claimed that China gave Pakistan real-time information about Indian military positions. Pakistan denied this, and China did not confirm or deny the claim.

The report added that China strengthened its military partnership with Pakistan in 2025, which increased tensions with India.

It noted that China and Pakistan held three-week-long “Warrior-VIII” counterterrorism exercises in late 2024. In February 2025, the Chinese Navy also joined Pakistan’s multinational “Aman” exercises. Indian experts saw these drills as a direct security concern.

Talking about the May conflict, the report said that calling it a “proxy war” would be an overstatement, but China did use the opportunity to test its modern weapons.

China is Pakistan’s biggest defence supplier, providing about 82 per cent of its defence imports between 2019 and 2023.

During the May clash, China’s advanced systems — the HQ-9 air defense system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and J-10 fighter jets — were used in combat for the first time. This gave China real battlefield experience.

The report also said that in June, China offered Pakistan 40 J-35 fifth-generation fighter jets, KJ-500 aircraft, and ballistic missile defense systems. That same month, Pakistan announced a 20 per cent increase in its 2026 defence budget, raising it to USD 9 billion despite overall budget cuts.

In the weeks after the conflict, Chinese embassies openly praised the performance of their weapons in the India–Pakistan clash to boost arms sales.

The report also cited French intelligence claims that China tried to block the sale of French Rafale jets to other countries. China allegedly promoted its J-35 jets instead and used fake social media accounts to spread false images — some even created with AI or video games — showing supposed debris of Indian aircraft destroyed by Chinese weapons.

The May conflict began after an attack on tourists in Indian-occupied Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan without evidence, but Pakistan strongly denied it and called for a neutral investigation.

On 7 May, India launched airstrikes in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, which started the four-day exchange. Both countries then targeted each other’s airbases until the United States stepped in and helped arrange a ceasefire on 10 May.

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