For the first time since the 86-hour aerial confrontation with Pakistan in May, an Indian defence official has publicly acknowledged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) did lose aircraft during the conflict.
Speaking at an academic seminar in Indonesia, Captain Shiv Kumar, an Indian defence attaché, confirmed that the IAF “lost some aircraft” during operations conducted on the night of May 7 — a night when Indian jets reportedly crossed into Pakistani airspace and targeted civilian areas, triggering a swift response from Pakistan.
The seminar, titled “Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power”, was hosted by Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma and attended by several regional defence analysts.
Captain Kumar attributed the IAF’s losses to restrictive orders issued by India’s political leadership in New Delhi. According to him, Indian pilots were directed not to strike any Pakistani military installations during the operation, in an effort to avoid further escalation between the two nuclear-armed rivals.
“There were limitations,” he said, suggesting that those constraints left Indian aircraft vulnerable during the mission.
Earlier, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, also confirmed during an interview with Bloomberg Television that fighter jets were indeed lost during the May confrontation. However, he avoided giving specific figures and dismissed Pakistan’s claim of downing six Indian aircraft.
“What’s important is not how many jets were downed, but why they were,” General Chauhan said while speaking on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “Numbers don’t matter — the circumstances do.”
Still, voices within India have offered a clearer picture. On May 30, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy admitted that Pakistan had shot down five Indian fighter jets — including at least one Rafale, a French-made aircraft considered the crown jewel of India’s air fleet.
Despite such admissions, India’s military establishment has largely remained guarded, refusing to confirm the exact number of aircraft lost during the high-stakes clash. The silence has only fueled speculation over the true extent of losses sustained by the IAF.
The confrontation in May marked one of the most serious flare-ups between India and Pakistan in recent years, raising global concerns over the risk of open warfare between two heavily armed neighbours. While tensions have since eased, both sides continue to trade barbs over the causes, consequences, and conduct of the brief but intense air campaign.
