Pakistan’s Air Force shot down at least one of India’s Rafale fighters during a one-hour air battle before dawn on 7 May, according to Pakistani and Indian officials cited by Reuters. Pakistan scrambled Chinese-built J-10C jets that fired PL-15 missiles from roughly 200 kilometres inside Pakistani airspace, marking one of the longest-range air-to-air kills on record and the first loss of a Rafale in combat. Officials on both sides say the outcome hinged less on the aircraft themselves than on intelligence and networking. Indian planners misjudged the PL-15’s range, while Pakistan linked its Chinese hardware, Swedish surveillance aircraft and ground sensors through a locally developed ‘Data Link 17’, giving pilots real-time targeting data and allowing J-10Cs to fly with radars off. Indian forces, operating a more diverse fleet, lacked a comparable system and were caught off guard. The engagement, which involved about 110 aircraft and stayed within each nation’s airspace, triggered four days of strikes and counter-strikes before a U.S.-brokered cease-fire on 10 May. India subsequently hit multiple Pakistani radar sites with BrahMos cruise missiles and is upgrading its Sukhoi fleet’s electronic protection, officials said. The Rafale’s loss dented confidence in Western equipment and lifted interest in Chinese alternatives. Dassault Aviation’s shares fell after reports of the shoot-down, and Indonesia—one of several countries with pending Rafale orders—has since signalled it may instead buy J-10Cs. Beijing’s air chief visited Islamabad in July to study Pakistan’s combat use of Chinese systems.