IAF Lost Fighter Jets to Pakistan Due to Political Restraints: Indian Defence Attaché
You are Here: Tweet, Like, Share, Comment, Subscribe…be the Voice of Free Press!
By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: Political Constraints Led to IAF Jet Losses in May 7 Air Battle, Admits Indian Defence Attaché
New Delhi: The Indian Air Force lost fighter jets to Pakistan during its May 7, 2025, air operations due to political restrictions that prevented it from targeting Pakistani military installations or air defence systems. This admission came from Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar, India’s Defence Attaché to Indonesia, during a seminar in Jakarta last month.
Speaking at the seminar titled “Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power”, organised on June 10 by Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma, Captain Kumar acknowledged:
“I may not agree [with an earlier Indonesian speaker’s claim] that we lost so many aircraft, but I do agree we did lose some aircraft.”
In his 35-minute presentation, he explained that Indian fighter jets were constrained by strict political instructions not to engage Pakistani military infrastructure or air defences during the initial May 7 strikes on terror-linked sites in Pakistan.
Also Read, Tweet & Share: As legacies of colonialism go
Losses and Tactical Shift
While Pakistani officials claimed their forces shot down up to six Indian aircraft, including Rafales, Indian authorities confirmed only an unspecified number of losses. Captain Kumar’s remarks align with the later statement by India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, who told Bloomberg in Singapore:
“What is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being down.”
According to Captain Kumar, the Indian military soon adapted its strategy.
“After the loss, we changed our tactics and went for the military installations. We first achieved suppression of enemy air defences — that’s why all our attacks could easily go through using BrahMos missiles,” he said, referring to the Indian response on May 10 that targeted Pakistani air bases.
The defence attaché’s comments underscore the strategic restraint exercised by the Modi government during the early stages of the air operation. The assumption appeared to be that Pakistani forces would refrain from targeting Indian aircraft as long as Indian strikes avoided military targets — a calculation that proved costly.
Also Read, Tweet & Share: Kill Four Birds With One Stone (A synopsis of Pakistan’s 1971 war)
In contrast, Pakistan’s Deputy Air Chief later stated that the PAF changed its rules of engagement from “deter” to “destroy” following India’s cross-border strike, leading to the downing of IAF jets operating under significant constraints.
Indian Embassy Responds
Following media coverage of Captain Kumar’s comments, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta issued a clarification, asserting that the remarks were “taken out of context.” The embassy’s statement read:
“We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attaché at a seminar. His remarks have been quoted out of context, and the media reports are a misrepresentation of the intention and thrust of the presentation.
Also Read, Tweet & Share: Modi imitating ‘detractors of democracy’ in Pakistan and Bangladesh, says Kejriwal
The presentation conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership, unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood. It was also explained that the objective of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist infrastructure, and the Indian response was non-escalatory.”
Curated by Humra Kidwai
Source: The Wire
