May 7 dogfight between Pakistan and India becomes world’s largest aerial battle

A nerve-wracking 59-minute air battle unfolded on May 7, 2025, between two nuclear-armed countries, marking what is now being referred to as the largest dogfight in modern military history. 

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) emerged victorious, successfully defending its airspace against advanced Indian fighter jets.

On the night of May 6-7, the PAF shot down one Su-30MKI, one MiG-29, and three Rafale aircraft, according to Pakistan’s security sources verified reports by US, BBC, and French media outlets.

Unlike brief aerial skirmishes, this confrontation turned into a high-intensity combat zone, lasting nearly an hour. It involved complex maneuvers and the full spectrum of electronic warfare, including jamming systems, and radar suppression techniques.

Prior to this, the longest recorded dogfight occurred during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war between Israel and Egypt, lasting 53 minutes. The Pakistan-India clash surpassed that, clocking in at 59 minutes, setting a new global precedent.

Pakistan shot down 2 Indian jets including Rafale: US officials

Military experts and air forces around the world are expected to closely study this battle, examining the use of modern weaponry, pilot skills, tactical maneuvers, and the effectiveness of air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems.

According to international analysts, lessons from this dogfight could shape the future of air warfare strategy, especially for global powers like China and the United States, who may face similar confrontations in potential flashpoints such as Taiwan.

A particular point of interest is the comparison between China's PL-15 air-to-air missile and Europe’s Meteor missile, developed by MBDA. While it's unconfirmed whether these missiles were deployed during the battle, their potential use has generated intense discussion.

Read: India suffers over $960 million loss after Rafale jets destroyed by PAF

“Air warfare communities in China, the US and a number of European countries will be extremely interested to try and get as much ground truth as they can on tactics, techniques, procedures, what kit was used, what worked and what didn't,” Reuters quoted Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, as saying.

Some defense experts noted that the US would especially seek data to understand the PL-15’s capabilities, which have long posed strategic concerns for American military planners.