CDS Gen Chauhan Admits Tactical Mistakes in Conflict with Pakistan
India Flew All Jets Again After Learning From Initial Setbacks: Gen Chauhan
Congress Demands Transparency on Reported Jet Losses During Four-Day Clash
‘Losses a Part of Combat,’ Says IAF Air Marshal as Opposition Seeks Answers
Defence Analysts Suggest India Lacked Proper Armament on First Night of Hostilities
New Delhi, June 1, KNT: In a significant development, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has acknowledged tactical errors made during India’s recent four-day military engagement with Pakistan, hinting at losses in the early phase of the clashes but emphasising India’s swift recovery and retaliatory precision strikes.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV during his visit to Singapore, General Chauhan refrained from detailing the exact nature or number of losses but stressed that the Indian Air Force re-launched its full fleet with high-precision strikes once operational gaps were corrected.
“I think what is important is not the jet being downed but why they were being downed,” he said, underlining that India identified and swiftly addressed its tactical mistakes. “We flew all our jets again targeting at long range,” he added, indicating a rapid regrouping and re-engagement after initial setbacks.
The Chief of Defence Staff categorically rejected Pakistan’s claims of downing six Indian jets under its so-called “Operation Sindoor,” calling such assertions “absolutely incorrect.” However, his remarks are the Indian military’s first veiled admission of any losses during the brief but intense conflict earlier this month.
Gen Chauhan’s statement sparked immediate political response back home, with the Congress party demanding full disclosure of the losses suffered during the clashes.
Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy questioned whether Indian aircraft were indeed downed, urging the government to share details transparently. Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh, drawing parallels with the post-Kargil conflict period, asked whether the Modi government would set up a review committee like the Vajpayee-led NDA did in 1999.
“The Kargil Review Committee was constituted just three days after the war ended. Its report was submitted in five months and tabled in Parliament. Will this government now take a similar step in light of the CDS’ remarks?” Ramesh posted on X.
In a media briefing on May 11, Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti, stated that “losses are part of combat,” but insisted that all IAF pilots returned safely.
Echoing Gen Chauhan’s emphasis on tactical learning, Shashank Joshi, defence editor at The Economist, said in a post on X that India may have suffered initial losses due to lack of appropriate armaments. He cited Western officials’ assessments and lauded the military’s ability to adapt quickly.
“The ability to adapt in real time is as critical as the initial performance,” Joshi noted, defending Chauhan’s remarks in the broader context of modern air warfare.
As calls for transparency grow louder, the Modi government now faces pressure to either declassify a conflict report or formally acknowledge what transpired during the four-day confrontation—a move that could shape public understanding of both the military operation and its aftermath.
