For the first time, India’s military has admitted that an unspecified number of its fighter jets were shot down during intense clashes with Pakistan in early May 2025. Previously, Indian officials had consistently denied any aircraft losses amid the conflict, which marked one of the most serious escalations between the two countries in recent years.
India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, confirmed the losses during an interview at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore. While he rejected Pakistan’s claim that six Indian jets were downed as “absolutely incorrect,” he acknowledged that several aircraft were lost and emphasized the importance of understanding the reasons behind these losses rather than focusing on the exact number.
General Chauhan described the incident as a “tactical mistake” by the Indian Air Force, which was identified and corrected within two days, allowing Indian jets to resume operations with revised long-range targeting tactics. He also reassured that the conflict never escalated to the brink of nuclear war.
Pakistan had claimed to have shot down five Indian jets, including three advanced French-made Rafale fighters, using Chinese-supplied aircraft. These claims were partially corroborated by Western intelligence sources, including French officials, who confirmed at least one Rafale was downed.
The aerial engagements involved over 125 aircraft and represented the largest air battle between the two nuclear-armed neighbors since World War II. The conflict was triggered by a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which India attributed to Pakistan-based militants, a charge Islamabad denied.
Following weeks of hostilities, a ceasefire was agreed upon on May 10, but the acknowledgment of aircraft losses by India marks a significant development in the transparency surrounding the conflict’s military toll.
