Air power represents one of the essential and most necessary component of national/multi-national military power as being  basic  part of elements of national power, possessing specific characteristics of Air strategy, aerial superiority, strategic & Tactical air force with air supremacy to reflect and secure the Grand/ National strategy of a nation with the will of the national interest ,In wartime ,air power has major applications in prosecuting the chosen overall military strategy of a Grand strategy, it can be used largely independently or as well as in joint operations.

The strategic importance of 5^th generation aircrafts, its stealth capabilities advanced sensors, information fusion, and network connectivity – all packaged within a supersonic, long-range, highly maneuverable fighters blending low radar cross-section with advanced avionics to compete in the fifth-generation arena. The  5^th Gen aircrafts like the United States of America with its fleet of F-22 Raptor & F-35 lightening , Chinese J-31Gyrfalcon & Mighty Dragon  J-20, On Russian side SU-57 felon,  all these  cutting-edge, state of the art stealth jets  are game-changers in aerial inventions, because they integrate low-observable stealth with sensor fusion and network-enabled operations, giving  an asymmetric advantage in contested environments.

Indo-Pak following historical rivalry for updating and modernizing its fleets  of air forces, induction of modern fighter jets like 4^th,4.5 and now stealthy 5^th generation fighter jets in competing and achieving balance of power in terms of weaponization and arms race, The leap from fourth to fifth-generation fighters isn’t just about stealth; it’s about situational awareness, real time information gathering & connected with joint command and control systems, which is capable of  ability to see the enemy before they see you, and act précised decisively, defines modern air combat.

Following Balakot incident Pakistan Air Force  downed a Mig-21 Bison, than India turn to made a  defence deal with France for purchasing French jet of 4.5 generation by Dassault aviation named Dassault Rafael , Indian air force relying on Rafael for it’s upgradation and modernization of aging fleet of older version 4^th gen Russian SU-27 or SU-30 flanker aircrafts, after that the strategic partnership of Pak-China in 2024 shifted into a new era of strengthening , when under CPEC  signed a strategic deal for 5^th gen Shenyang FC-31  gyrfalcon stealth jet, export variant to Pakistan, China offered a 50% discount on the J-35A jets, along with lenient or favorable payment terms, possibly as part of broader strategic support under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase-2.

On that strategic partnership Pakistan will receive total of 40 jets of  J-35(export variant for PLAAF, confirmed by the Govt of Pakistan on 6^th of June ),this move aims to modernize Pakistan’s air force, replacing aging aircraft like the American F-16s and French Mirage fighters. furthermore it is framed as  deepening of the China-Pakistan military partnership, often described as a counterweight to India’s air power, which currently relies on 4.5-generation fighters.

The delivery of Rafael inducted with Meteor BVRAAM (beyond visual range Air-to-Air missile)  range up to 100-150 km , that  created an edge for Indian air force  over Pakistan air force in regarding that IAF’s slogan was 1^ST LOOK, 1^ST LOCK & 1^ST KILL , that was a gape and an edge which can be benefitted in favor of IAF, India launched OPERATION SINDOOR during night of 7-8^th may 2025, targeted 25+ locations deep inside Pakistan’s territory , in that mid-night launched operation , total number of 80 jets of Indian air force were airborne including Migs and SU lead by Rafael.

In counter of that Pakistan used it’s latest J-10CE vigorous dragon and JF-17 thunders, PAF claimed to shot down 3 Rafales,1 SU-30MKI and 1 Mig-29 and an Israeli Heron UAV, Pakistan used stand off weapons inducted in J-10CE especially newly delivered (after 22^nd of April Pahalgam incident) PL-15E BVRAAM with upgraded version of PL15E  , it is a beyond visual range stand off weapon , used for long range precision strike attack , guided with extended range from 150 to 300 km (with accuracy rate of 200km combat tested), on the downing of Indian jets Pakistan’s AVM Aurangzaib stated “It’s not the fact that Rafael is a bad plane.

Rafael is an equally potent… a very potent aircraft… if employed well”, The counter balance strategy says: “ In the heat of battle , the mind tends to lose it’s balance, it is vital to keep  presence of  mind , maintaining mental powers, whatever the circumstances .make the mind tougher by exposing it to adversity .learn to detach it from the chaos of the battlefield.”

On February 13, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the White House that the United States would increase military sales to India starting in 2025 and pave the way to eventually provide India with F-35 stealth fighter jets. This offer marks a significant step in deepening U.S.-India defense ties, with Trump stating, “Starting this year, we’ll be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars.

We’re also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters.” The F-35, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is a fifth-generation stealth & joint strike fighter  known for its advanced sensors, electronic warfare capabilities, and ability to operate undetected at supersonic speeds, however, no formal timeline was provided for the delivery of the F-35 jets, and foreign military sales, especially for advanced technology like the F-35, typically take years to finalize due to government-to-government processes, regulatory reviews, and strict guidelines on technology transfer.

Furthermore during that same week in an aerial show of  Aero India 2025 (February 10-14, 2025) in Bengaluru, where the export variant of  Su-57E was displayed and performed aerial maneuvers, demonstrating capabilities like super-maneuverability and a 120-degree angle of attack , it is a twin-engine, multirole stealth fighter designed to rival advanced jets like the U.S. F-35, Russia  offered access to the Su-57E’s source code, allowing India to customize the aircraft with indigenous weapons (e.g., Astra BVR missiles, Rudram anti-radiation missiles) system, manufacturing i with transfer of technology and joint production in India.

On May 27, 2025, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approved the “Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model”, a significant step toward enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem. The Indian Ministry of Defence stated that this model promotes equal opportunities for both private and public sectors to compete, allowing companies to bid independently or as joint ventures, provided the entity is an Indian company compliant with national laws and regulations.

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will lead the project in partnership with the Indian industry, with an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the AMCA development phase issued as AMCA will be developed by Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Agency, first version will have UA-made GE F414 engines, aiming to develop a single-seat,25-tonne, twin-engine, cutting edge tech suited for all weather operations, designed with low radar  cross’s-section and super-cruise capability, expectedly having an ‘electronic pilot’ powered by A-I for real time decision making ,the AMCA has internal weapons bays that will shield bombs and missiles from radars, expected to have operational ceiling of 55,000 feet and capacity to carry nearly 7,000kgs in weapons , fifth-generation stealth fighter jet critical for maintaining a technological edge in south Asia .

June 4^th   2025 , JANES has released a report that confirmed the delivery of J-35 to Pakistan, everything is set(since last year 400+ crew of PAF taking training in China) to receive China’s advanced J-35A stealth fighter aircraft, the  delivery is expected to begin within some months.

Earlier of that via open source intelligence and on 6^th of June Govt of Pakistan officially confirmed the offer being made by china for delivery of J-35 , , it was said the delivery will be occurred expectedly in month of August 2025 but duration is not confirmed by any Chinese or Pak officials , that earlier delivery of 5th gen jets caused by recent clashes between historical rivals.

After Pahalgam incident, Indian leading operation SINDOOR and in retaliation Pakistan launched BUNYAN UM MARSOOS , that created another armed race in South Asia , backed by super arm suppliers(USA, RUSSIA,CHINA & FRANCE), stealth race can be costly estimated in billions of dollars for both rivals, Imbalance of power OR Destabilization in South Asia can not only endangered the other states but it can lead to any futuristic conflict  in more escalation and destruction for both nuclear  rivals, further it can cause MAD ( MUTUAL ASSURED DESTRUCTION).