After weeks of speculations, claims, and counterclaims, the Indian military has finally confirmed that it lost an unspecified number of combat jets during Operation Sindoor.
“What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down,” Anil Chauhan, chief of defence staff of the Indian Armed Forces, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
Pakistan claimed shooting down three Indian Rafale fighters and other jets, including a Su-30 MKI and Mirage-2000. Chauhan called Pakistan’s claims “absolutely incorrect.”
“Why they were down, what mistakes were made – that are important,” General Chauhan said when asked about the fighter jets. “Numbers are not important,” he added.
“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.
On May 6-7, the skies over the India-Pakistan border witnessed one of the fiercest aerial clashes in recent history between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The trigger for Operation Sindoor was a barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, where Pakistan-linked terrorists murdered Hindu male tourists, killing 26 people, including one Nepali citizen.
India had not previously confirmed or denied Pakistan’s claim that an Indian plane had been shot down, and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a press briefing that he would respond at the right time.
Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Marshal AK Bharti, in response to a question during a press briefing, said — we are in a combat scenario and losses are a part of it.”
“All our pilots are back home,” he added during the combined defence presser.
CNN quoted Pakistani defense sources as claiming that they have shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale jets, one MiG-29, and one Su-30MKI fighter jet. CNN also quoted an “unidentified” high-ranking French intelligence official saying that one Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force was downed by Pakistan.
Reuters quoted two US officials saying that a top Chinese-made Pakistani combat jet shot down at least two Indian military aircraft. Another official said at least one Indian jet that was shot down was a French-made Rafale fighter aircraft, the Reuters report said.
The New York Times quoted “unidentified” Indian officials, stating that India had lost at least two aircraft. However, the NYT decided not to identify any of the lost aircraft due to a lack of conclusive evidence.
The Washington Post quoted an “unidentified” French expert who stated that India could have lost a Mirage-2000 and a Rafale aircraft.
BBC Verify authenticated three videos which purport to show the wreckage of a French-manufactured Rafale fighter in Bhatinda, Punjab.
There has been no official word from the Indian military; however, going by murmurs, it appears that India may have lost 2-3 aircraft.
A Superior ‘Kill Chain’?
As reported by EurAsian Times earlier, Michael Dahm, a senior fellow at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said that the effectiveness of the ‘kill chain’ may have been more important than the capabilities of the specific fighters.
He pointed out an article in the China Space News, a Chinese defense industry magazine. The article said the “Pakistan Air Force deployed – ‘Locked by A, Launched by B, and Guided by C’ combat system.”
So, Pakistan integrated ground radars, combat jets, and Early Warning aircraft.
The ‘kill chain,’ Dahm said, may have started with a ground radar, which illuminated the Indian target. Then, the J-10 launched its missile, probably at a range, and finally, an Airborne Early Warning aircraft used a midcourse datalink to update and guide the missile to the Indian fighter.
“A long-range shot, beyond visual range.”
Dahm also pointed out another theory that suggests that the two Air Forces had different rules of engagement.
According to this theory, the Rafale was conducting an air-to-ground bombing mission and did not have the escort mission it should have had. It may also have lacked situational awareness, as it was focused on its air-to-ground mission.
“As it turned out, it was jumped upon by Pakistani aircraft, firing missiles at range.”
According to this theory, while the Rafale was cleared for only an air-to-ground bombing mission, Pakistani aircraft were cleared to engage Indian aircraft if they conduct any hostile act.
Another possible element could be the use of electromagnetic warfare.
“Pakistan seems to have very recently converted several Chinese airborne early warning and control aircraft into electronic warfare aircraft,” Dahm said, adding that those aircraft could be manipulating the electromagnetic environment.
An IAF expert, with close knowledge of the matter, told EurAsian Times on condition of anonymity, that India lost its jets not to Pakistan’s brilliance or its Chinese jets, but more due to ‘playing clean’ strategy and avoiding doing anything that would hamper its global reputation. The expert said, “IAF did not get full clearance” and refused to provide any further information.
- Via: ET Desk
- Mail us at: editor (at) eurasiantimes.com
