Christine Fair calls Indian claims of downing Pakistani jets as 'Bakwas'

NEW DELHI: US defense analyst Dr. C. Christine Fair has dismissed India’s claims of downing Pakistani jets as Bakwas (nonsense).

Dr. Fair, a professor of security studies at Georgetown University and a known critic of Pakistan, made these remarks during an interview with Indian journalist Karan Thapar on his YouTube show titled “India-Pakistan: Who Came Off Better and Did Trump-Rubio Tilt Towards Islamabad?”

When asked about a statement by Air Marshal Bharti, Director General of Air Operations in the Indian Air Force, claiming that India had shot down an unspecified number of Pakistani jets, Dr. Fair categorically rejected the claim. “There’s no evidence for it. It’s ‘Bakwas,’” she said bluntly.

Fair’s comments have drawn considerable attention, especially given her well-known critical stance on Pakistan. Her skepticism about Indian claims is therefore seen as particularly significant.

American Defense Analyst Professor C. Christine Fair confirms 2x Rafale of IAF were shot down by PAF on the night of 6/7 May 2025 https://t.co/1If9lfNNWA pic.twitter.com/74qCpjZ34U

— Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) May 15, 2025

Thapar also raised claims by Indian officials about extensive damage to Pakistani airbases, citing supposed satellite images of airfields in Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Jacobabad, and Bholari. In response, Fair dismissed these assertions as baseless.

Read More: How Pakistani jets shot down Indian Rafale, other aircrafts

“There is certainly no evidence… I am astonished by the claim that 20% of Pakistan’s air force has been rendered unusable. I’ve never heard that before. It’s quite an astonishing claim and most certainly false,” she said.

Fair went further, stating it is “99% certain” that India lost two aircraft, including a Rafale jet, and suggested it is “very probable” that up to five Indian aircraft may have been lost during the engagement.