The only thing it proves is that IAF has executed a very ill-prepared attack, with no consideration whatsoever to Pakistani air defences.
When you desconsider your opponent, you risk making a fool of yourself.
Many people think that modern weapons win wars by themselves, but this is not how it works. By looking at the way the IAF conducted this mission, they would have probably lost F35s as well, if they had them.
You need good mission planning, intelligence and a well trained and integrated force to exploit modern weapons to their full potential. If you just want to send a single jet to fly 50 km close to the border and lob some missiles to a predetermined target, without any situatuonal awareness and flexibility, a modern jet will not have many benefits as compared to an old Sukhoi.
The IAF should have used its older Mirages for such a mission, so they at least would have not embarrassed themselves as much as they did. At least the Russians know not to send their Sukhoi Su-57 close to the frontline, so they avoid the humiliation of losing their flagship jet.
"Ill prepared" is the wrong terminology.
To use SCALP and HAMMER needs the Rafale....i.e a stand off conflict tier was picked. The Mirage 2000 does not come into play as adequate with its munition profile for this.
The point is a higher conflict tier without SEAD/DEAD was not picked (by decision makers) as the conflict tiers are not going to be ramped up that fast compared to last time.
That is a different kind of war ramp signalled to Pakistan if that is done (or the use of heavy CM and BM for that SEAD and/or target destruction too instead of aircraft...especially considering the density of population around some of these targets too)
Within the tiers of 1- 5, the IAF (given the IAD + CAP) is going to have attrition (its why I said its garbage at these tiers...it does not have the requisite apex sharpness at scale like say the IdAF).
Its different picture at 5-10....but these tiers are not picked by IAF but by higher ups....and could only be potentially picked in next cycle Pakistan decides to engage in terror inside India.
(You will remember that there was no response at all from India after 08 Mumbai for example).
India will only move up these escalation ladder tiers cautiously as it has more to lose than Pakistan....but at same time it will ramp them up each time too....depending on the situation and context each time w.r.t civilian deaths taken from Pakistani terror networks.
It is not a Siberia situation where the USSR simply ignored the new (but limited) nuclear deterrence of the PRC in 1969 and proceeded to escalate fast and hard upon Chinese soldiers after the first Chinese ambushes in the ussuri (and then kazakh) areas in question....up to the point of heavy nuclear brinkmanship threat....which made Mao and much of CCP flee away from Beijing for a period of time.
This conflict window is also not completed, we have to wait to see it conclude to give a proper analysis in the end too.
