Indian military first time confirms loss of fighter jets in conflict with Pakistan

SINGAPORE: For the first time, the Indian military has confirmed the loss of fighter jets during recent clashes with Pakistan on May 10.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, acknowledged the losses but declined to specify the number of aircraft downed.

“What is important is not the number of jets that were downed, but why they were downed,” General Chauhan said. “Understanding the mistakes that led to the losses, correcting them, and ensuring they are not repeated — that is what matters.”

He emphasized that the Indian Air Force quickly learned from the tactical errors made during the conflict.

“The good part is that we were able to identify the mistake, rectify it, and resume operations within two days. All our jets were flying again and engaging targets at long range,” he added.

General Chauhan dismissed Pakistan’s assertion of shooting down six Indian fighter jets as inaccurate.

India’s military confirmed for the first time that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May.

Anil Chauhan, chief of defense staff of the Indian Armed Forces, spoke to Bloomberg TV on Saturday, while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in… pic.twitter.com/9y3GW6WJfn

— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) May 31, 2025

Until now, the Indian government had refrained from commenting on whether any aircraft were lost in the conflict.

General Chauhan’s remarks mark the most direct acknowledgment from an Indian official regarding the fate of its warplanes during the brief but intense skirmish with Pakistan.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had shot down six Indian fighter jets during the confrontation.

When asked about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that American diplomacy helped avert a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, General Chauhan declined to comment directly but called the suggestion “far-fetched.”

“I personally feel there is significant space between conventional military operations and the nuclear threshold,” he said. Communication channels with Pakistan “were always open” to de-escalate tensions, he added, noting that there are “sub-ladders” on the escalation scale that both nations can use to resolve issues without resorting to nuclear options.