'Indian Air Force could have inflicted major damage on Pakistan's nuclear facilities in 1984'

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Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) could have inflicted major damage on Pakistan's nuclear facilities" in 1984, as per a media report.

As per a secret CIA document from November of that year, IAF could have "inflicted major damage on Pakistan's most critical nuclear facilities", The Times of India reported.

The secret "intelligence assessment" was made soon after then PM Indira Gandhi's assassination.

It added that an attack by the IAF could "destroy or sufficiently damage the facilities to prevent Islamabad from producing nuclear weapons for several years."

TOI also quoted the CIA document as saying that MIG 29s had "medium-range capability superior to" that of the F-16s possessed by Pakistan possessed (made by US).

The document further says that because of "poor command, control, and communications, we judge that Islamabad could not blunt a massed Indian airstrike."

Those facilities were the Kahuta Enrichment Plant and PINSTECH-New Laboratories facility, as per CIA.

Notably, both were just 30 minutes away by plane from India.

The document adds that India's air force was "larger and better" than Pakistan's.