India’s Air Force states that its Russian-made S-400 air defence system achieved the longest confirmed surface-to-air missile kill in military history during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. According to officials, the system struck a Pakistani airborne early warning and control aircraft from a distance of 314 kilometres. The engagement followed the degradation of Pakistan’s ground-based radar network, which forced reliance on airborne surveillance. The Indian Air Force chief reported that six Pakistani aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict, including five fighter jets and the surveillance platform.
Pakistani accounts dispute elements of the Indian version, and independent verification of the engagement details remains limited. Reports citing Pakistani intelligence sources claimed that Islamabad activated informants and sleeper networks to track S-400 battery locations, though these claims lack independent corroboration. Neither government has released the radar or telemetry data needed to fully verify the reported engagement distance.