(CP) WASHINGTON – American officials confirmed that Pakistan used Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets to shoot down at least two Indian military aircraft, including one French Rafale, marking the first combat success for China’s advanced fighter technology against Western aircraft amid escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity revealed that Pakistan’s Chinese-built J-10 jets successfully launched air-to-air missiles against Indian fighter planes during Wednesday’s border clash. The incident represents a significant milestone for Chinese military aviation, as Beijing’s fighter technology faced off against Western-designed aircraft in actual combat. According to Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, their forces downed five Indian planes, including three French-made Rafale jets recently acquired by India.

The performance of Chinese fighter jets against Western rivals is being closely monitored by military analysts in Washington for insights into how Beijing might perform in potential conflicts over Taiwan or elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region. Both the J-10 and the Rafale are considered generation 4.5 fighter jets, representing the leading edge of current air combat technology. The confrontation also highlighted a matchup between China’s PL-15 air-to-air missiles against Europe’s Meteor missiles produced by the MBDA consortium.

World powers including the United States, Russia, and China have called for calm in what remains one of the world’s most dangerous nuclear flashpoints. The military escalation continued Thursday with suspected drone attacks across the region. India has not acknowledged losing any aircraft and instead claims it successfully struck what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” inside Pakistan. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three major wars and numerous smaller conflicts since their independence, with Kashmir remaining a persistent focal point of tension in South Asia.