In the early morning of May 7, high alert gripped the Pakistan Air Force’s Combat Operations Centre as Indian fighter jets gathered near the country’s airspace.
The PAF quickly responded by sending 18 J-10C jets from the No. 15 Squadron, also known as the “Cobras.” This marked one of the biggest air-to-air battles in South Asia in recent years.
With careful planning and precision, the Cobras successfully shot down six Indian aircraft. These included three Rafales, one MiG-29, one Mirage-2000, and one Su-30MKI.
The Cobras used advanced PL-15 beyond-visual-range missiles to carry out the mission. This event showed the squadron’s impressive growth from using older Mirage planes to flying modern J-10C fighter jets, proving why they are Pakistan’s leading strike force.
The operation was led by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, who once served in the Cobra Squadron himself.
His leadership played a key role in the success of the mission. The operation displayed not only the PAF’s strength in the air but also its excellent teamwork, intelligence sharing, and command coordination.
The Cobras have a long history of defending Pakistan’s skies from the Cold War period to the 2019 Operation Swift Retort, and now this May 7 mission. Each time, they have shown bravery, skill, and readiness to protect the country. Their actions on May 7 have added another proud chapter to their legacy of courage and excellence in air combat.
