Retired Indian Air Force veteran Sergeant Bhale Singh, who served on the advanced S-400 Triumf air defence system, has clarified that Pakistan’s claims of destroying an S-400 radar during Operation Sindoor were false. Singh, awarded a Mention-in-Despatches (Op Sindoor) citation for his frontline role, revealed in an interview that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) failed to hit any S-400 units despite firing CM AKG-400 air-launched cruise missiles.
In an interview with ‘Face to Face’, a platform run by Dr. Syed Rizwan Ahmed, Singh revealed that one missile reportedly credited with striking the system was intercepted and destroyed far from the actual deployment site. “They tried their best to locate our unit. They fired missiles at what they thought was our radar position. But not a single component of the S-400 was hit. The missile that was supposed to have destroyed us was neutralized in open terrain. Later, even its warhead was recovered kilometers away from our deployment site,” Singh said.
PAF’s earlier claims of destroying the radar were never verified by satellite imagery or independent sources, analysts said, suggesting the statements were part of a propaganda effort to offset losses suffered during Operation Sindoor.
The S-400 Triumf, capable of engaging targets at ranges up to 400 km, played a crucial role in protecting Indian airspace during the conflict. Its advanced mobility, survivability, and layered radar coverage made it extremely difficult for the PAF to locate, let alone destroy. Singh credited the system’s countermeasures and robust design for its resilience: “The system was designed to survive under intense electronic and kinetic attack. Operation Sindoor showed just how robust it really is.”
The awarding of the Mention-in-Despatches to Singh underscores the critical role of India’s air defence operators in safeguarding high-value assets and deterring enemy threats.
(With Inputs from IDRW)
