An Indian military source has for the first time confirmed the country’s loss of fighter aircraft during clashes with Pakistan in early May, during which an estimated one to four Rafale fighters, a MiG-29, and maybe a Su-30MKI and a Mirage 2000, were lost in combat.
The number isn’t important, but the reason they were downed is, Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan stated. The French war-jets were targeted and shot down by superior Chinese J-10C fighters.
The good part is we understood the tactical mistake, remedied it, rectified it, and flew all our war-jets again after two days, targeting at long range.
The loss of Rafale fighters in particular has caused a significant public relations crisis for the Indian Defense Ministry, with the French fighters having been procured at over $241 million each, fueling allegations of corruption in the procurement process and sparking considerable controversy.
Indian defense sources previously deflected from criticism by specifically arguing that the Rafale would provide tremendous superiority over the Pakistan Air Force, and facilitate the shooting down of Pakistani fighters deep into the country’s own airspace.
The fact that the Rafales were overcome in air-to-air engagements by Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighters, which are the least capable of five fighter classes currently being produced for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
The encounter confirmed the long expected inability of European aircraft to match their Chinese counterparts, and is expected to fuel Indian interest both in developing more capable indigenous fighters and in procuring more advanced fighters from Russia.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 13 singled out the performance of the country’s Russian-supplied S-400 long range air defense systems for praise for their performance, which was seen to be a means of deflecting from the Rafale’s perceived failure while reassuring the public of the security of Indian airspace.
In response to the clashes, India has been assessed as likely to expedite plans to procure Russian Su-57 fifth generation fighters, while also concentrating investment on its AMCA fifth generation fighter program intended to produce aircraft for the 2040’s.
It was confirmed in February that a license production deal for the Su-57 was under consideration.
Military Watch Magazine / ABC Flash Point News 2025.
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