India and Pakistan trade claims over fighter jet losses in Operation Sindoor
October 3, 2025
For the first time since Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May, India’s Air Chief Marshal A P Singh has specified the type of aircraft destroyed.
Speaking on 2 October at the 93rd Air Force Day parade in New Delhi, he said the Indian Air Force (IAF) eliminated “four to five fighter aircraft, most likely F-16s,” as well as radars, command centres and other assets.
IAF says Pakistan lost F-16 fighters, JF-17 jets and airborne warning aircraft
Singh detailed India’s assessment of Pakistan’s losses:
- Three hangars across separate air bases were struck
- One C-130 class transport aircraft destroyed
- At least four to five fighters “most likely F-16s” eliminated while in maintenance
- A surface-to-air missile (SAM) system destroyed
- Evidence of one long-range strike against either an AEW&C or another significant aircraft
- A further five “high-tech fighters” between the F-16 and JF-17 classes
“Our system tells us this,” Singh added, framing the operation as India’s largest offensive since the Balakot airstrikes in 2019 and the Uri surgical strikes in 2016.
Operation Sindoor followed Pahalgam terror attack
Operation Sindoor began on the night of 6–7 May 2025 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terrorist attack of 22 April, in which 26 tourists were killed.
The Indian government described the aerial strikes as a necessary escalation to degrade Pakistan-based militant infrastructure and deter future attacks.
Pakistan claims it downed Indian Rafale fighters
Pakistan rejects India’s account, insisting instead that its forces shot down multiple Indian aircraft. At the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed his air force downed seven Indian fighters.
Pakistani officials also told Reuters that at least one Dassault Rafale was destroyed, allegedly ambushed by a Chinese-built J-10C firing a PL-15 long-range missile. According to this account, India underestimated the weapon’s range at 150 km, while the engagement occurred at over 200 km — a first in live combat.
IAF dismisses Pakistan’s Rafale claim
Singh dismissed Pakistan’s assertions with sarcasm:
“If they think they downed our 15 jets, I hope they are convinced about it and will cater for 15 less aircraft in my inventory when they come to fight again.”
So far, India has not confirmed any Rafale losses, nor has it officially acknowledged other combat aircraft casualties.
Indian officials hint at “some” aircraft losses
The Indian Air Force has not confirmed losses but officials acknowledge “some” aircraft
The IAF and the Indian government have neither confirmed nor denied losing aircraft during Operation Sindoor.
However, senior military leaders have hinted at casualties. Recently, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan admitted that “unspecified” losses were sustained but stressed that all mission objectives were achieved.
Director General Air Operations, Air Marshal A K Bharti, added that “losses are part of any combat,” while confirming that no pilots were lost and that Pakistan’s air force did suffer damage.
In June, India’s Defence Attache to Indonesia, Captain Shiv Kumar, also referred to “some aircraft” losses, attributing them to initial political restrictions on targeting Pakistani air defences.
As with previous confrontations, the truth remains contested. India insists its strikes degraded Pakistan’s air power and terror infrastructure, while Pakistan maintains it downed India’s most advanced fighters.
Independent verification is lacking, and both sides have strong incentives to shape the narrative for domestic audiences. What is clear is that Operation Sindoor marked the largest aerial engagement between India and Pakistan in decades, raising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
