The confirmation by India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, that the Indian Air Force (IAF) did indeed suffer losses of fighter jets in the aerial combat with Pakistan in May 2025, combined with his subsequent remarks about tactical adjustments and nuclear responsibility, has the implicit effect of accepting the Pakistani account of self-defence and piercing the Indian-created image of air superiority. This was the first time that India officially acknowledged such losses in the recent India-Pakistan conflict. This acceptance lends credence to the credibility of deterrence of Pakistan and a reminder that transparency and openness in military and strategic affairs is a must to maintain stability in a volatile and nuclearized South Asia.
India has been trying for decades to realize its strategic doctrine of full air superiority over Pakistan. Through investing heavily in its air force modernization program, including the purchase of Rafale fighter jets, India has been aiming to achieve a superior position against its adversaries, especially Pakistan.[1] However, this narrative of dominance was seriously dented during the Indo-Pak conflict in May 2025, sparked off by a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, that the officially-inspired Indian media quickly blamed on Pakistan without any iota of evidence or any investigation. India, in supposed retaliation, resorted to air strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB)[2] in a move that was escalatory in nature and fed to the internal hyper-nationalistic audience of Hindutva fanatics.
