India acknowledges jet losses in May clash with Pakistan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
1 Jun 2025 08:20

India’s top military official admits operational failures led to Indian jet losses during May’s clashes with Pakistan.

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A photo-journalist took pictures of what appears to be the wreckage of a downed fighter jet in Srinagar amid the latest clashes. (AP)

India’s Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Anil Chauhan, has acknowledged for the first time that the Indian Air Force lost fighter jets during the India-Pakistan aerial clashes in May, marking a rare admission.

The statement comes in response to earlier remarks by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who asserted that Pakistan downed six Indian jets during the confrontation. While Gen. Chauhan dismissed that number as “absolutely incorrect,” he refrained from specifying how many aircraft were actually lost.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue 2025 in Singapore, Chauhan emphasized that the focus should not solely be on the downing of jets, but rather on the operational missteps that led to the incident.

“What is important is that, not the jet being downed, but why they were being downed,” he stated.

“The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and fly all our jets again, targeting at long range,” Chauhan stressed.

Tactical errors and lessons from the skirmish

The confrontation, which erupted on May 7, represented the most serious escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in over half a century. The aerial clashes followed a deadly attack on April 22 near the town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, where 26 tourists, including one Nepali national, were killed.

Chauhan’s remarks suggest that Indian Air Force jet losses resulted in a reassessment of operational protocols and tactical preparedness.

Bharat Karnad, emeritus professor of National Security Studies at the Centre for Policy Research in Delhi, noted that India may have underestimated Pakistan’s aerial capabilities.

“Initially, Indians were surprised. Maybe they underestimated the capacity of the Pakistani Air Force,” he told Arab News.

Karnad also underscored surveillance shortcomings, highlighting India’s failure to utilize its airborne early warning and control system, NETRA, effectively, a gap that Pakistan reportedly exploited with efficiency.

“I’m not sure how much the Indian Air Force expected this kind of tactical innovation. So, this is something that the Indian Air Force realized very quickly,” Karnad added.

In a separate context, Retired Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak pointed to a broader geopolitical dimension, emphasizing the role of Chinese support in enhancing Pakistan’s military performance.

“This brings us to the lessons which underscore that India was not fighting Pakistan on one front but two countries: Pakistan and China,” he stated.

“Every single superior technology, capability, operationally and tactically, or in strategic terms, are made available to Pakistan. That must concern us,” he stressed.

He also emphasized the need for India to reassess its force structure and capabilities in light of the emerging India-Pakistan military tensions and evolving regional alliances.