Anil Chauhan, India’s chief of defence staff, says India experienced losses in the air but denies six planes were downed.
SNPNEWS.IN: General Anil Chauhan, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, confirmed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) suffered losses of an unspecified number of fighter jets during a conflict with Pakistan in May 2025. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, he acknowledged the losses but refuted Pakistan’s claim of downing six Indian jets, calling it “absolutely incorrect.”
Chauhan emphasized that the focus should be on why the losses occurred rather than the number, stating, “What is important is … not the jets being downed but why they were downed.” He noted that the IAF identified tactical errors, rectified them, and resumed operations on May 7, 8, and 10, conducting precision strikes on Pakistani airbases with “all types of aircraft and ordnances.”
Air Marshal AK Bharti, India’s Director General of Air Operations, had earlier described losses as “a part of combat” without specifying details, adding that all Indian pilots returned home safely. The conflict stemmed from a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 tourists, prompting India’s Operation Sindoor targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan
Pakistan’s perspective on the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, particularly regarding the jet losses, is marked by claims of military success and accusations of Indian aggression. Pakistani officials and media assert that their air force downed several Indian fighter jets, with specific claims ranging from five to six, including advanced Dassault Rafale aircraft, during the initial clashes on May 7, 2025. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated that these jets were shot down in a dogfight, citing social media videos as evidence and claiming India admitted to losing three planes. Pakistan also claimed to have intercepted and destroyed 84 Indian Harop drones and targeted Indian military infrastructure in retaliation, asserting minimal damage to their own airbases.
Pakistan described India’s Operation Sindoor, which involved missile and air strikes on alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, as an “act of war” targeting civilian areas, including mosques, and resulting in 31 civilian deaths. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials denied India’s accusations of supporting terrorism, particularly regarding the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists, which India used to justify its strikes. Pakistan framed its military response as a defensive necessity, with Asif warning that India’s actions invited escalation and that Pakistan was prepared for “all-out war” if provoked further.