Pakistan Air Force’s History of False Kill Claims: From 1988 to Op Swift Retreat

New Delhi – The Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) history of exaggerated or outright false kill claims has once again come into focus with the annual review of its military engagements. The most notable recent instance of such misinformation was during the 2019 aerial skirmish with the Indian Air Force (IAF), known as Operation Swift Retreat, where the PAF falsely claimed to have shot down an IAF Su-30MKI. However, this was far from the first instance of the PAF making dubious kill claims.

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Decades earlier, in September 1988, the PAF falsely asserted that it had shot down two Soviet MiG-23MLD fighters over Afghanistan, an incident that was later debunked when records revealed that only one aircraft had sustained minor damage while the other remained completely unscathed. These incidents highlight a pattern of misinformation aimed at inflating the PAF’s combat record.

2019: The False Su-30MKI Kill Claim

During the 27 February 2019 aerial engagement, following India’s Balakot airstrikes, the PAF launched Operation Swift Retort, a retaliatory mission targeting Indian military installations. In the ensuing dogfight, an IAF MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was shot down and he was taken captive before being released two days later.

However, the PAF also made a false claim that one of its F-16s had shot down an IAF Su-30MKI in the engagement. This claim was immediately refuted by the IAF, which provided conclusive evidence that all its Su-30MKIs had returned safely to their bases.

Further evidence, including radar data, eyewitness accounts, and satellite imagery, confirmed that no Su-30MKI was lost in the battle. Instead, India asserted that an IAF MiG-21 had successfully engaged and downed a PAF F-16, an event that Pakistan initially denied but later conflicting reports, including a missing PAF pilot, suggested otherwise.

1988: The Soviet MiG-23 Incident

PAF’s pattern of inflated kill claims extends beyond India. In September 1988, during the Soviet-Afghan War, Pakistan claimed that its F-16s had shot down two Soviet MiG-23MLDs that allegedly violated Pakistani airspace. The incident was widely publicized at the time, with PAF presenting it as a testament to its aerial combat skills.

However, later declassified records from Russian and Western sources painted a completely different picture. According to Soviet military archives, only one MiG-23 sustained minor damage but was able to return to base safely, while the second aircraft remained completely untouched. The PAF’s claim of two confirmed kills was, therefore, exposed as false propaganda aimed at boosting its image during the Cold War era.

A Pattern of Exaggeration and Misinformation

These incidents, spanning over three decades, reveal a consistent pattern of misinformation from the PAF regarding its aerial engagements. Whether against the IAF in 2019 or against Soviet forces in 1988, the objective appears to be the same— to exaggerate combat successes for domestic and international audiences.

Reasons Behind Such False Claims

1. Psychological Warfare: By inflating combat successes, PAF seeks to boost morale within its ranks and influence public perception in Pakistan.
2. Geopolitical Strategy: False claims allow Pakistan to project an image of military strength to its allies, including China and Turkey.
3. Information Warfare: In an era where social media and digital propaganda play a crucial role, misleading claims can be used to shape narratives in Pakistan’s favor.

Conclusion

The 2019 Su-30MKI false kill claim was not an isolated case but part of a decades-long trend of misinformation from the PAF. The 1988 Soviet MiG-23 incident serves as an early example of Pakistan’s history of exaggerating its aerial combat record.

As military transparency and digital verification improve, such false claims are increasingly exposed, challenging the credibility of the PAF’s combat narratives. Moving forward, the global defense community will continue to scrutinize Pakistan’s military assertions with a more critical and evidence-based approach to separate fact from propaganda.