Indian Military Admits Fighter Jet Losses in May Clashes with Pakistan

Singapore – June 1, 2025 — For the first time, the Indian military has publicly acknowledged the loss of fighter jets during a brief but intense military confrontation with Pakistan in May. The revelation was made by India’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Anil Chauhan, during an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

While General Chauhan did not disclose the exact number of aircraft lost, he attributed the setbacks to "technical errors" and emphasized that the four-day conflict never escalated to the brink of nuclear war. He confirmed that communication lines with Pakistan remained open throughout the standoff, a move he said helped prevent further escalation.

Chauhan declined to comment on U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier assertion that American intervention had averted a potential nuclear confrontation. However, he downplayed the risk of nuclear exchange, describing it as "remote" and noting that there remains a “significant gap” between conventional military operations and the nuclear threshold.

The top Indian military official stressed the importance of learning from the incident. “The analysis of what went wrong and why the jets were lost was critical,” Chauhan said, adding that corrective measures were swiftly implemented. Flight operations resumed just two days later, with India reportedly conducting "precise" strikes on Pakistani air bases located up to 300 kilometers across the border.

Chauhan also pushed back against Pakistan’s claims of successfully using foreign-supplied weaponry, particularly from China, during the skirmish. He dismissed those assertions, suggesting they were exaggerated.

Both India and Pakistan have since dispatched diplomatic delegations to key world capitals, aiming to shape global perceptions of the conflict and secure international support.

The clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbors sparked global concern, but cooler heads appear to have prevailed. Still, the incident underscores the fragile nature of peace in South Asia and the risks posed by even limited military engagements between long-time adversaries.