Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has addressed for the first time the swirling claims around Indian jet losses during Operation Sindoor, asserting that Pakistan’s narrative is “absolutely incorrect.” Speaking to Bloomberg TV during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chauhan emphasized that the key issue wasn’t the reported downing of aircraft, but the tactical errors that may have led to any vulnerabilities.
“What matters is not the jet going down, but why it happened. Understanding and correcting those mistakes is what’s crucial,” he said. According to him, the Indian Air Force quickly identified a tactical lapse, fixed it, and resumed operations within 48 hours, conducting long-range precision strikes deep inside Pakistani territory.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently claimed that the Pakistan Air Force shot down six Indian jets, including four Rafales. India has categorically denied this, with Air Marshal A.K. Bharti previously stating that while losses are a reality in combat, all Indian pilots returned safely. The IAF, in contrast, has claimed it downed multiple Pakistani jets, including an F-16 and two JF-17s — assertions Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.
On the question of nuclear tensions, Chauhan pushed back against former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington intervened to prevent a nuclear clash between India and Pakistan. Calling the idea “far-fetched,” Chauhan said there’s significant room for conventional military engagement before reaching the nuclear threshold.
“There’s a wide gap between conventional operations and nuclear escalation,” he noted, adding that communication channels with Pakistan remained active throughout the standoff. He also underlined that there are many “sub-ladders” available to de-escalate without triggering a nuclear response.
Highlighting the effectiveness of India’s strike capability, Chauhan revealed that Indian forces had successfully hit targets more than 300 kilometers inside Pakistan with meter-level precision. He concluded by reaffirming India’s strategic posture: “We’ve drawn clear red lines. Our future response will depend on Pakistan’s actions.”
