An Indian defence official has openly acknowledged that the Indian Air Force lost multiple aircraft during the 86-hour confrontation with Pakistan in May, a rare admission amid ongoing speculation over the extent of the damage.

 

 

During a seminar at Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Indonesia, Indian Defence Attaché Captain Shiv Kumar stated that India “did lose some aircraft” during an operation on the night of May 7. The remarks were made in a session titled Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power.

 

 

Kumar attributed these losses to directives from Indian political leadership, which allegedly restricted the air force from engaging with Pakistani military targets. He mentioned that pilots were instructed to refrain from any actions that could lead to an escalation.

 

 

His statements follow a separate acknowledgement by India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, who has also admitted that Indian aircraft were down during the May conflict. Speaking to Bloomberg Television during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chauhan chose not to specify the number of jets targeted. He emphasised that the underlying reasons for the losses matter more than the actual count. “What is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being down,” he stated.

 

 

These comments follow weeks of silence from Indian defence officials regarding the events of early May, when Pakistan claimed to have downed six Indian aircraft, including Rafale jets. Initially, Indian officials dismissed this claim.

 

 

However, on May 30, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy asserted that five Indian fighter jets had indeed been shot down, supporting Pakistan’s earlier assertion. Indian military sources, on the other hand, have continued to refrain from confirming any specific details.

 

 

This admission, in both diplomatic and military capacities, adds a new aspect to the narrative surrounding the brief yet intense exchange between the two nations, whose air forces remain vigilant amid ongoing tensions.