India Jet Losses CDS Responds
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.
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.
Pakistan shot down six Indian jets: PM Shehbaz
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 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.
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