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India’s Defense Chief Confirms Fighter Jet Losses in Clash with Pakistan

The South Asia Times

SINGAPORE - India’s Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has, for the first time, publicly acknowledged that Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets were lost in a recent military confrontation with Pakistan.

His remarks came during an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the high-profile Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

While General Chauhan did not provide specific details regarding the number or type of aircraft lost, he confirmed the downing of Indian jets, marking a rare official admission following weeks of speculation and unverified reports circulating in regional media.

“What is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being down,” Chauhan said. “Why they were down, what mistakes were made — that are important. Numbers are not important.”

Chauhan categorically dismissed Pakistan’s claim that it had shot down six Indian fighter jets — including four French-made Rafales — as “absolutely incorrect.”

Pakistan’s military had previously said that its air defense systems and fighter aircraft successfully repelled an Indian incursion, downing multiple jets in the process.

General Chauhan’s comments appear to shift the focus away from the scale of the losses and toward internal assessments of operational decisions. “Mistakes were made,” he acknowledged, without elaborating on whether those were tactical, strategic, or technical in nature.

The latest exchange follows a recent spike in tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and in airspace over disputed Kashmir. Both countries have exchanged accusations of airspace violations and provocative military actions, reviving fears of broader escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The Indian general statement has confirmed Pakistan claim that they shot down Indian fighter jets and hit several key Indian military assets inside India