For the first time, India has officially acknowledged the loss of some of its fighter jets during a recent skirmish with Pakistan. However, the Indian military emphasized that the exact number of jets lost is less important than understanding how and why they were lost—and what lessons were learned.
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg TV on May 31 at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said Pakistan’s claim of shooting down six Indian fighter jets is completely unfounded. While he did not reveal the number of aircraft India lost, he noted, “The numbers don’t matter. What matters is identifying the mistakes and learning from them.”
He explained that the Indian Armed Forces swiftly recognized and corrected the strategic errors and were able to get their fighter jets back in the air within just two days to carry out long-range operations.
The incident in question took place on May 7, when tensions between India and Pakistan escalated into aerial strikes and counterattacks. At the time, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed that six Indian fighter jets had been shot down—a claim that has not been independently verified.
Until now, the Indian government had remained silent on the matter. General Chauhan’s comments are being seen as the first official acknowledgment from the Indian side regarding the losses.
He also stressed that the conflict never reached a nuclear threshold and that both countries made conscious efforts to keep the escalation under control.
General Chauhan further added that India has since made key changes to its military strategy, placing particular focus on strengthening drone capabilities and missile defense systems.
