In a revelation that challenges the official Indian government position, a senior Indian military officer has privately acknowledged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) did lose combat aircraft during the initial phase of the recent military confrontation with Pakistan. The comments, made by India&rsquo;s Defence Attach&eacute; to Indonesia, Captain Shiv Kumar, during a closed-door seminar in Jakarta, have drawn scrutiny back home and risk causing strategic embarrassment for New Delhi.
Speaking at a regional security seminar on June 10 titled &ldquo;Analysis of the Pakistan&ndash;India Air Battle and Indonesia&rsquo;s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power&rdquo; at Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma, Captain Kumar conceded that Indian losses occurred early in the operation &mdash; contradicting the Indian government&rsquo;s firm public position that no fighters were lost in the conflict.
In a candid 35-minute presentation to an audience comprising Indonesian Air Force officers, defence scholars, and regional observers, Captain Kumar responded to an Indonesian expert's assessment, which alleged India lost five fighter aircraft during Operation Sindoor &mdash; a cross-border response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The alleged losses included three Rafales, one Su-30MKI, and one MiG-29.
&ldquo;I may not agree with him that India lost so many aircraft. But I do agree that we did lose some aircraft, and that happened only because of the constraint given by the political leadership to not attack the military establishments and their air defences,&rdquo; Kumar said. His remarks were unambiguous and diverged sharply from the Indian establishment&rsquo;s consistent narrative.
Until now, the official Indian position has been to deny any aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor, which was framed as a calibrated counter-terrorism operation aimed solely at non-state actors operating from Pakistani soil. However, Kumar&rsquo;s statements suggest that initial operational restrictions imposed by the political leadership, presumably to limit escalation, left IAF pilots vulnerable to Pakistani air defences.
Slides presented during the seminar supported the claim of losses, listing the downing of high-value assets including Rafales &mdash; a critical component of India&rsquo;s frontline air deterrent. Although Kumar refrained from confirming specific numbers, he admitted the IAF suffered avoidable setbacks due to strategic constraints at the onset.
After the initial setbacks, he said, India adapted its operational strategy. &ldquo;We changed our tactics and went for their military installations. We first achieved suppression and destruction of enemy air defences &mdash; SEAD and DEAD &mdash; and that&rsquo;s why all our attacks could easily go through using surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles,&rdquo; Kumar explained. He added that by May 8&ndash;10, India had achieved complete air superiority.
The Ministry of Defence declined to comment, while the Indian Embassy in Jakarta attempted damage control, stating that Kumar's remarks were &ldquo;quoted out of context.&rdquo; A brief statement claimed the presentation was misinterpreted and was meant to underline the principle of military subordination to civilian leadership &mdash; contrasting with Pakistan&rsquo;s military-dominated structure.
&ldquo;The objective of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist infrastructure and the Indian response was non-escalatory,&rdquo; the embassy said, without directly addressing the reported aircraft losses.
The broader implication of this disclosure is significant. It not only raises questions about the transparency of wartime communication from the Indian side but also lends credence to long-standing regional assessments that India paid a price in the skies during the early moments of the conflict. In defence circles, it reopens debate about the balance between political restraint and operational freedom in high-stakes combat scenarios.
If verified, the losses &mdash; particularly of Rafale fighters &mdash; mark one of the most serious material costs for the IAF in recent years and cast a long shadow over the government&rsquo;s claim of unmitigated tactical success in Operation Sindoor.

Indian Air Force's Jet Fighters in action (image source: social media)

Indian Defence Attaché admits jet losses in Pakistan strike, contradicting govt’s denial

Attaché’s IAF Loss Claim Jolts Indian Govt Narrative

Indian Defence Attaché admits jet losses in Pakistan strike, contradicting govt’s denial

June 30, 2025 | 12:04 IST