The claims have grave implications for India. It has modernised its forces in the past decade by buying 62 Rafales and is considering buying more. Pakistan, meanwhile, has added 150 JF -17 fighters, most jointly made with China, since 2007 and has bought 20 J -10 C s since 2022.

China's J-10C fighter was deployed by Pakistan against India this week and may become a "very viable competitor" to western rivals, one expert said.

Pakistan said it shot down five Indian jets on May 7 as fighting between the nuclear-abled rivals intensified before a US-brokered truce put a pause to the conflict triggered by a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan said Chinese fighter jets were used to respond to military strikes by India and that it has kept Beijing fully informed of its action as tensions in the disputed Kashmir region escalate.

Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets, which it identified as French- and Russian-origin fighter aircraft.

The market capitalisation of China's premier jet manufacturer, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, surged by over $7.6 billion following last week's Pakistan-India conflict, according to a Bloomberg report.

In a sharp and sarcastic social media post, former Indian Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju mocked the Modi government over India's military setback in its recent conflict with Pakistan. Katju accused "rogue Pakistanis" of bribing the French defense company Dassault Aviation,

After experiencing a period of volatility, which included a precipitous 7% decline on Monday, the stock swiftly recovered by more than 3% on Tuesday. Analysts credit this turnaround to a resurgence of investor faith in Dassault Aviation’s strategic value in light of the region’s growing defense requirements.