India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan confirmed on Saturday that the Indian Air Force (IAF) did lose fighter jets during the initial stages of Operation Sindoor, but quickly adapted its strategy to launch deeper, precision strikes into Pakistani territory. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Gen Chauhan told Reuters TV that “on May 7, in the initial stages, there were losses,” making this the first official admission of air losses during the four-day conflict.
Rejecting Pakistan’s claim of downing six Indian warplanes, including three Rafales, he stated, “That is absolutely incorrect.” Gen Chauhan emphasized that focusing on numbers was less important than understanding tactical errors. After recalibrating, the IAF deployed Sukhoi-30MKIs, Rafales, and Mirage 2000s to target nine Pakistani airbases and three radar stations—some near nuclear facilities—using BrahMos, Scalp, Rampage, and Crystal Maze-2 missiles. “We were able to do strikes on heavily air-defended airfields of Pakistan, 300 km inside, with the precision of a metre,” he said.
Chauhan downplayed the effectiveness of Pakistani air defenses and highlighted that the conflict never approached a nuclear threshold. He praised the “rationality” of both sides and noted open lines of communication helped manage the crisis. Following his remarks, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called for an independent review of India’s defence preparedness. As tensions ease under the ceasefire, the future depends on Islamabad’s adherence to clearly defined red lines.
(With inputs from Reuters, Bloomberg, TOI)
