India's Military Chief Confirms Loss of Aircraft in Recent Pakistan Clashes
General Anil Chauhan acknowledges the Indian Air Force's downed jets in May confrontations, amid rising tensions with Pakistan.
NEW DELHI: In a significant acknowledgment, General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defense Staff of India, confirmed the loss of Indian Air Force jets during confrontations with Pakistan in May. This revelation marks the first direct admission from an Indian official regarding the fate of fighter jets in these recent clashes.
Earlier in the month, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted that Pakistan had shot down six Indian jets, a claim to which Indian authorities had not officially responded until now.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chauhan emphasized, "What is important is not the jet being downed, but why they were being downed." He noted the Indian military's ability to recognize tactical errors and rectify them, allowing for the resumption of flights only two days later, aimed at long-range targeting.
Chauhan characterized Pakistan's assertion of downing six Indian aircraft as "absolutely incorrect," though he did not disclose the number of jets lost by India.
The recent confrontations between India and Pakistan have been recognized as their most severe in fifty years, with both nations engaging in aerial, drone, and missile strikes, as well as artillery and small arms fire, along their disputed border.
The conflict was ignited by a violent attack on tourists near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, including 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen.
Bharat Karnad, an emeritus professor at the Centre for Policy Research in Delhi, indicated that the Indian Air Force may have initially underestimated the capabilities of the Pakistani Air Force.
He noted the surprise felt by Indian forces, particularly pointing out that India might not have utilized its airborne early warning and control system, NETRA, effectively, highlighting that Pakistan had better employed its tactical innovations.
Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, a retired officer of the Indian Air Force, commented on the advantages that Pakistan gained through its Chinese-made weapons in the May conflict.
He emphasized the challenge posed by Pakistan, not just as an adversary, but in conjunction with its alliance with China, raising concerns over the technological and strategic capabilities India needs to develop in response to these dynamics.
Earlier in the month, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted that Pakistan had shot down six Indian jets, a claim to which Indian authorities had not officially responded until now.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chauhan emphasized, "What is important is not the jet being downed, but why they were being downed." He noted the Indian military's ability to recognize tactical errors and rectify them, allowing for the resumption of flights only two days later, aimed at long-range targeting.
Chauhan characterized Pakistan's assertion of downing six Indian aircraft as "absolutely incorrect," though he did not disclose the number of jets lost by India.
The recent confrontations between India and Pakistan have been recognized as their most severe in fifty years, with both nations engaging in aerial, drone, and missile strikes, as well as artillery and small arms fire, along their disputed border.
The conflict was ignited by a violent attack on tourists near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, including 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen.
Bharat Karnad, an emeritus professor at the Centre for Policy Research in Delhi, indicated that the Indian Air Force may have initially underestimated the capabilities of the Pakistani Air Force.
He noted the surprise felt by Indian forces, particularly pointing out that India might not have utilized its airborne early warning and control system, NETRA, effectively, highlighting that Pakistan had better employed its tactical innovations.
Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, a retired officer of the Indian Air Force, commented on the advantages that Pakistan gained through its Chinese-made weapons in the May conflict.
He emphasized the challenge posed by Pakistan, not just as an adversary, but in conjunction with its alliance with China, raising concerns over the technological and strategic capabilities India needs to develop in response to these dynamics.
