Indian Air Chief has said war comes with losses in a rare admission, confirming that a Rafale fighter jet was downed during an aerial engagement with Pakistan.
The disclosure was made by Air Marshal Awesh Kumar Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, during a recent media briefing.
“Losses are part of combat,” Air Marshal Bharti stated, offering no further details regarding the timing, location, or specific circumstances surrounding the incident. His brief comment marks the first official acknowledgment from Indian authorities of a Rafale jet being downed—an aircraft India had introduced to its fleet with considerable national pride.
#WATCH | Delhi: #OperationSindoor | Air Marshal AK Bharti says, “…Have we achieved our objectives of decimating the terrorist camps, and the answer is a thumping Yes and the results are for the whole world to see…” pic.twitter.com/EH2MMjifpY
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2025
This admission follows claims made earlier by Pakistan. On Wednesday, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry reported that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had shot down five Indian aircraft in response to Indian missile strikes, including three Rafale jets.
Also read: Pak-India air force battle ends in a decisive victory for Pakistan: US media
Further corroboration came the same day from a senior French intelligence official, who told CNN that Pakistan had indeed downed an Indian Rafale jet—potentially marking the first confirmed combat loss of the advanced French-built multirole fighter.
