India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan confirmed that his country’s fighter jets were shot down by Pakistan during the four-day conflict earlier in the month.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan said, “The number isn’t important, but the reason they were downed is.”
In a more detailed explanation, Gen. Chauhan noted that the Indian Air Force had identified the cause of the losses and moved quickly to adapt.
“The good part is we understood the tactical mistake, remedied it, rectified it, and flew all our jets again after two days, targeting at long range,” he said.
His comments marked the Indian government’s first public acknowledgment of air losses during the brief but intense exchange near the contested border region.
Indian fighter jets were shot down by the Pakistan Air Force on the night of May 6-7 in response to the Indian Air Force’s late-night missile strikes at six Pakistani sites, including Subhan Mosque in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East, Bilal Mosque in Muzaffarabad, Abbas Mosque in Kotli, Umalkura Mosque in Muridke, the village of Kotki Lohara in Sialkot district, and Shakargarh.
Pakistan claims to have taken down six Indian jets, including three advanced French Rafale planes. Three Rafales, one Su-30MKI, one Mirage 2000, and one MiG-29 were downed within 40 minutes.
Anil Chauhan called Pakistan’s claims that it shot down six Indian warplanes “absolutely incorrect,” though he declined to specify how many jets India lost.
“Why they were down, what mistakes were made – that are important,” General Chauhan said when asked about the fighter jets. “Numbers are not important,” he added.
