Indian defence chief admits loss of aircraft in skirmishes with Pakistan
World
This marks the first official confirmation by Indian military acknowledging the loss of fighter jets
MUMBAI (Dunya News) - Indian Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan admits that the Indian Air Force lost fighter jets during skirmish with the Pakistan Air Force.
Speaking to Bloomberg on the sidelines of the ongoing Shangrila Dialogue in Singapore, Gen Chauhan confirmed that Indian fighter aircraft were lost, though he refrained from disclosing the exact number.
Instead, he emphasised that the focus should be on why the jets were lost, not how many.
Gen Chauhan stated that the important thing was to understand where the mistakes occurred, what shortcomings were present, and what led to the loss of the aircraft. The number, he claimed, was not significant.
This marks the first official confirmation by the Indian military acknowledging the loss of fighter jets during recent skirmishes with Pakistan.
Previously, Pakistan’s military and political leadership had announced that the Pakistan Air Force had shot down six Indian fighter jets, including three French-made Rafales.
Also Read: Pakistan struck 26 Indian military sites in response to aggression: ISPR DG
A senior leader of India’s ruling BJP had also admitted just a day earlier that five aircraft had been destroyed.
Interestingly, Gen Chauhan also dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that America prevented a potential nuclear war between the two countries, calling it “unrealistic.”
According to him, both nations were never close to deploying nuclear weapons.
The Indian general also attempted to downplay the effectiveness of Chinese-made weapons used by Pakistan. However, the results on the battlefield contradict his claims.
India’s military confirmed for the first time that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May.
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) May 31, 2025
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
India’s admission has sparked new international debate and strengthened Pakistan’s stance that India carried out unprovoked aggression, and Pakistan responded with a strong defence by downing enemy aircraft, delivering a fitting response.
BJP LEADER’S CONFESSION
In a rare and candid statement, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy admitted that Pakistan shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets during a recent military confrontation between the two nations.
Speaking during a media interview, Swamy attributed the losses to the superior performance of Chinese-made aircraft used by Pakistan, which he said outmatched the French-made Rafale jets deployed by India.
"Pakistan downed five of our planes. They used Chinese planes to down our planes, which were French," Swamy said. He went on to criticize the capabilities of the Rafale jets, stating, "The Chinese planes were good, but the French were not. Rafale is not up to the mark as per India’s needs."
Swamy also made serious allegations regarding the Rafale procurement process, suggesting corruption in the deal.
"Corruption happened in Rafale which won’t be investigated till Modi is the PM," he said, indicating that the current political leadership would not allow any inquest into the matter.
