Indian military confirms it lost fighter jets in war with Pakistan

The Indian military for the first time has acknowledged the loss of unspecified number of fighter jets during its recent war with Pakistan.

Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces General Anil Chauhan spoke to Bloomberg's Haslinda Amin on Saturday while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

General Anil Chauhan called Pakistan’s claims that it shot down six Indian warplanes "absolutely incorrect”, though declined to say how many jets India lost.

It's the first time the Indian military confirmed that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May.

Anil Chauhan told Bloomberg that it was important for India to ascertain why the jets were downed. “What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down,” Chauhan said.

“Why they were down, what mistakes were made — that are important,” Chauhan said when asked about the fighter jets. “Numbers are not important,” he added.

“The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range,” Chauhan said.

Attention 🚨

General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defense Staff [CDS] of the Indian Armed Forces officially confirms for the first time that Pakistan Air Force shot down "unspecified" number of Indian Air Force fighter jets on the fateful night of 6/7 May 2025.

He further adds that… pic.twitter.com/qZIsXwv2K6

— Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) May 31, 2025

The Pakistani government, including PM Shehbaz Sharif himself, earlier claimed that the country’s air force shot down six Indian fighter jets, including four French-made Rafales, during the latest military conflict.

General Chauhan also dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that the US helped prevent a nuclear war. He said it was "far-fetched" to think either side was close to using atomic weapons.

The Indian military chief also downplayed Pakistan's use of Chinese-supplied weaponry, saying they "didn't work."

Despite the conflict, General Chauhan confirmed that India carried out precision strikes on heavily defended Pakistani airfields deep inside their territory. He said these were done with "the precision of a meter."

The Indian military chief said the ceasefire is holding and will depend on Pakistan's future actions. "We have laid clear red lines," he said.