The Indian military on Saturday, May 31, confirmed the loss of an unspecified number of fighter jets during clashes with Pakistan in May, while emphasising that the four-day conflict, starting May 7, never escalated to the brink of nuclear war.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, an annual security conference hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan addressed the losses, reports NDTV.
“What matters is not the jets being downed, but why they were downed,” Chauhan said, refuting Pakistan’s claim of shooting down six Indian warplanes as “absolutely incorrect.” He declined to specify the number of jets lost, stating, “Why they were downed, what mistakes were made—that’s what’s important. Numbers are not the focus.”
Chauhan highlighted the military’s response: “The positive outcome is that we identified the tactical errors, rectified them, and within two days, resumed operations, flying all our jets again for long-range targeting.”
This is the first direct confirmation from an Indian official regarding fighter jet losses during the conflict, dubbed “Operation Sindoor.” Pakistan claimed to have downed multiple Indian jets, including a Dassault Rafale, a significant assertion given the Rafale’s unblemished combat record since entering service with the French Navy in 2004 and the French Air Force in 2006.
A CNN report, citing a senior French intelligence official, corroborated Pakistan’s claim of downing an Indian Rafale, with French authorities investigating whether additional Rafales were lost overnight.
The conflict, the worst between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades, was sparked by a terrorist attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. India attributed the attack to Pakistan, a claim Islamabad denied. The clashes involved air, drone, and missile strikes, as well as artillery and small arms fire along the shared border.
Chauhan dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that the US helped avert nuclear war, calling suggestions of nuclear escalation “far-fetched.”
He noted, “There is significant space between conventional operations and the nuclear threshold,” adding that communication channels with Pakistan remained open to manage escalation. “On the escalation ladder, there are more sub-ladders to exploit for resolving issues without resorting to nuclear weapons,” he said.
Chauhan also downplayed Pakistan’s claims about the effectiveness of Chinese-supplied weaponry, stating they “didn’t work.”
A report from India’s Defence Ministry research group indicated China provided Pakistan with air defence and satellite support. Chauhan countered, “We conducted precision strikes on heavily defended Pakistani airfields 300 kilometres inside their territory, with meter-level accuracy.”
The cessation of hostilities is currently holding, with both nations sending delegations to global capitals to shape international perceptions. Chauhan emphasised that future stability depends on Pakistan’s actions.
A CNN report added complexity, citing a French intelligence official confirming the downing of an Indian Rafale, lending weight to Pakistan’s claims from the jet’s country of origin.