Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Saturday acknowledged losses of aircraft in recent hostilities with Pakistan but dismissed as “absolutely incorrect” Islamabad’s claim of downing six Indian jets.
In an interview to media, General Chauhan asserted it is more important to find out why the aircraft were lost so that the Indian military could improve tactics and hit back again.
“I think what is important is not the jet being downed but why they were being downed,” he said. He made these assertions when asked whether India lost combat jets during the four-day military clashes with Pakistan earlier this month.
“The good part is that we were able to understand the tactical mistakes which we made; remedied, rectified and then implemented it again after two-days. We flew all our jets again targeting at long range,” he said. “Absolutely incorrect,” General Chauhan said when asked about Pakistan’s claim of shooting down six Indian jets during Operation Sindoor. Previously, Indian Air Force’s Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti, acknowledged that “losses are a part of combat” and said all IAF pilots returned home safely. Air Marshal Bharti made the remarks at a media briefing on May 11 when asked about India’s aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor.
In an interview media on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogure in Singapore, General Chauhan said, “What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down. Why they were down, what mistakes were made - that are important. Numbers are not important.”
In another interview to Reuters, General Chauhan said the losses India suffered were in the initial stages, on May 7, when it launched Operation Sindoor. “What I can say is that on May 7, in the initial stages, there were losses. What was important is why these losses occur and what we will do after that,” he told the agency.
However, the Chief of Defence Staff said the armed forces were quick to analyse the “tactical mistakes”, remedy them, and again target Pakistan on May 8 and May 10.
“The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it and then implement it again after two-days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range,” General Chauhan said.
He also described Operation Sindoor as a turning point in the way wars are fought, highlighting how modern warfare now depends on technology, cyber operations and the ability to control information. He said as much as 15 per cent of the armed forces’ efforts during the mission were spent countering fake news and misleading narratives.
Speaking at Asia’s premier Defence and Security Summit, General Chauhan said despite Pakistan being ahead of India in many metrics after Independence, India was now ahead on all fronts - from the economy to human development.
He underlined that India had reached out to Pakistan several times, like in 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited then-premier Nawaz Sharif to his oath ceremony after the BJP’s win in the Lok Sabha polls. The next year, Modi made a surprise stop in Lahore to meet Sharif and wish him on his birthday.
“Diplomatically, we have reached out like in 2014 when the Prime Minister invited Nawaz Sharif. But it takes two hands to clap. If all we get in return is hostility, then disengagement may itself be a sound strategy for now,” he said.
As regards Operation Sindoor, the CDS pointed out how indigenous platforms like the Akash missile system were used effectively to neutralise attacks from Pakistan. He also highlighted that integrated radars, built into a cohesive network across India, proved to be crucial.
General Chauhan said Operation Sindoor was “non-contact” and “multi-domain,” relying not just on traditional military action but also on cyber capabilities, intelligence, disinformation management, as well as the coordination of multiple forces across land, air, sea and cyber.
He explained that this shift changes how battles are fought - moving away from large, fixed military platforms to flexible and deceptive strategies.
One of the major challenges during Operation Sindoor was disinformation. General Chauhan said as much as 15 per cent of the armed forces’ efforts during the mission were spent countering fake news and misleading narratives.
“Combating fake news was a constant effort. Our communication strategy was deliberate; we chose to be measured, not reactive, because misinformation can quickly distort public perception during high-stakes operations,” he said.
India should focus on controlling the narrative using verified facts and evidence, even if it results in a slower response to the public, General Chauhan added.
He gave an example of how India handled public communication in the early days of the operation. “In the first three days, two women officers were our primary spokespeople because the actual military leadership were directly engaged in fast-moving operations. It was only after the 10th that the DGMOs came forward to brief the media.”
On the use of cyber capabilities, the CDS noted that while cyber attacks occurred on both sides, their impact on core military systems was minimal.
He further stressed the need for integrated technology in warfare. “What matters most in modern warfare is the networking of systems and real-time integration across air, land, sea and cyber domains. If you have great tech but it’s not connected, you can’t fully leverage it.”
General Chauhan noted that India is preparing for the future of warfare by embracing technology, joint operations, and better narrative control - elements he said were all demonstrated in Operation Sindoor.
The CDS pointed out that today’s conflicts are not linear. “We’re no longer fighting linear wars; we’re operating across distributed networks, applying force in non-linear ways, where deception is becoming more important than surprise,” he said.