Pakistan, May 26 -- By May 20, 2025, I had completed my research on the claimed kills of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over its archrival, the Indian Air Force (IAF). In a short video on my YouTube Channel, "Reflections by Dr Shamsi," I claimed that the PAF had become the most successful air force of the 21st century after at least 10 IAF aircraft were knocked out of the skies either directly or indirectly.

I fully understand that claims and counterclaims are part of warfare, and it is challenging to confirm an aerial kill in the absence of the wreckage of the downed aircraft. While it was easy to claim the MiG-21 Bis of the IAF, which was shot down on February 27, 2019, by the PAF, because the wreckage fell in Pakistan's territory and th...