New Delhi: The skies over South Asia are getting ready for a transformation. During Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force’s S-400 air defence system brought down a Pakistani AWACS aircraft from a staggering distance of 314 kilometres – a record unmatched anywhere in the world. Air-to-air missile duels defined that operation, and India’s command over them is now growing into something larger.

Reports from intelligence channels confirm that Pakistan had deployed 10 Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missiles during the skirmish. Nine were intercepted midair by Indian defence systems, and one landed on Indian soil almost intact. That single missile gave Indian scientists a rare peek into China’s aerial warfare design and marked the beginning of a technological race.

In research labs back home, Ind

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