General Anil Chauhan, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, perhaps dropped the biggest bombshell at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore. He disclosed the undisclosed information that Pakistani fire shot down Indian jets in the aerial clash in May 2019. If true, this admission would be the first acknowledgement by any official Indian source that Indian losses have been that heavy. The invitation-only forum was held from May 30 to June 1. It fostered a vibrant atmosphere for frank exchanges on military tactics and strategic regional security issues.
Specifically, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, hitting nine sites in six cities in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This action increased tensions between India and Pakistan to a critical degree. This operation featured several missile strikes designed to force Pakistan from launching missiles at Indian targets. After Congress approved the U.S. military action, hostilities escalated. Negotiations and protests escalated into an exchange of reciprocal missile strikes and drone attacks which lasted until President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
General Chauhan was not clear on the exact number of jets shot down. More than anything, his comments served to underscore the operational challenges the Indian Air Force faced during this brief conflict. He focused on the importance of understanding the reasons and drivers behind these operational losses. Rather than focusing on how many planes crashed, he was interested in asking why they were crashing.
Details of the Conflict
The India-Pakistan conflict had considerably risen after the launch of Operation Sindoor. This operation involved military tactics that were aggressive and unnecessarily escalated tensions. General Chauhan proclaimed that Indian troops had penetrated deep inside Pakistan. He lauded their remarkable successes, such as penetrating air defense systems and conducting long-range strikes with precision.
“Hit airbases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their air defences with impunity, carried out precision strikes.” – General Anil Chauhan
Even with these tactical advances, the four-day conflict still brought shocking losses, leading General Chauhan to reconsider India’s military tactics. He even recognized the need for a strategic review in the wake of the May events. Pretty interesting for you to say that tactics shifted right before the ceasefire on May 10.
“What was important is why did these losses occur and what we’ll do after that.” – General Anil Chauhan
In tandem with General Chauhan’s comments, Captain Shiv Kumar addressed the crisis. He noted that he disagrees with the optimism on Russian aircraft losses. In doing so, he opened up the field for at least some aircraft loss admissions. He blamed these losses on political restrictions placed on military operations.
“That happened only because of the constraints given by the political leadership to not attack the military establishment or their air defence.” – Captain Shiv Kumar
Political Reactions and Implications
General Chauhan’s admission has unleashed a political maelstrom in India. Members of the Congress Party are now calling for a comprehensive audit of the country’s defense readiness. Given the history of provocation and antagonism in the area, they warned about potential downstream effects of such losses on a land dotted with strife and animosity.
The implications of this controversial admission have spurred different interpretations and ensuing reactions from legislators, political commentators, and military strategists from both sides of the aisle. First, Indian Director General of Air Operations AK Bharti discussing military-to-military interactions. He wanted to make the point that losses must always be expected in the crucible of battle.
“We are in a combat scenario, and losses are a part of it. As for details, at this time, I would not like to comment on that as we are still in combat and give advantage to the adversary. All our pilots are back home.” – AK Bharti
The Indian Embassy in Indonesia had to respond after media reports on General Chauhan’s remarks. They made an important point that his comments had been contextually misconstrued, and thus misrepresented.
“Remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a mis-representation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker.” – Indian Embassy in Indonesia
As we made clear with our last post, things are changing quickly. We need to know what India’s defense strategy and operational doctrine will be in the future.
Strategic Adjustments
General Chauhan was able to react to the damage incurred during the clash in May. In response to the Pakistan military escalation, he disclosed that India has changed its military strategy, too. These changes were considered necessary to have a greater impact and be more effective at future engagements. He especially stressed the need to identify root causes of operational shortfalls. That understanding will be essential to crafting robust strategies in the years ahead.
India-Pakistan tensions are once again on the rise. Military officials say we must change and adjust to the evolving nature of the region. Their call for a strategic reassessment is made all the more timely given the current political discourse on defense preparedness.
His counterpart Mr S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, stressed the context that forced such tactical choices. He stressed that all of the advice hadn’t been adhered to.
“They chose not to take that good advice.” – S Jaishankar
