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In a direct rebuttal to Pakistan’s claims of having destroyed the Indian Air Force’s Adampur airbase and its prized S-400 missile defence system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise early-morning visit to the base on Tuesday.
Touching down in a C-130J Super Hercules on the very runway Pakistan claimed to have bombed, the Prime Minister’s presence served as a visible counter to Islamabad’s propaganda.
No Damage, No Doubt
Images and videos released after the visit showed a calm, fully operational airbase. The most striking visual: PM Modi standing in front of an active S-400 Triumf launcher, flanked by smiling IAF personnel—a clear visual rebuttal to Pakistani claims of its destruction.
In another image, Modi is seen beside a MiG-29 fighter and the Adampur base’s motto: “When enemy pilots don’t sleep well.”
“The PM’s visit was both a morale boost and a strategic message,” a senior defence official said. “Pakistan’s narrative collapsed the moment that image was released.”
The Message in the Missile
It is the first publicly released image of the Russian-made S-400 system in operational deployment in India. Defence sources confirmed that the S-400 battery at Adampur had successfully intercepted several incoming missiles during Pakistan’s attempted retaliatory strikes on May 9 and 10.
India currently has three operational S-400 squadrons, with two more on the way.
Sharing some more glimpses from my visit to AFS Adampur. pic.twitter.com/G9NmoAZvTR
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2025
False Claims, Real Clarity
Pakistan’s military, through ISPR spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, had repeatedly claimed in press briefings that the Adampur airbase was “decimated” during its missile strikes following India’s Operation Sindoor.
In addition to Adampur, Pakistani missiles had targeted Udhampur, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and civilian areas in Punjab’s Ferozepur, but India reported minimal damage and no significant losses.
A Salute That Said It All
Modi’s interaction with IAF personnel and salute to the stationed forces were more than a morale gesture—they were a message. The Trishul cap he wore, denoting the Western Air Command, and the undamaged background featuring the S-400 delivered a silent but potent counterstrike in the domain of perception warfare.
“We didn’t just hold the line. We held the truth,” a senior officer remarked.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
