India’s defence attache to Indonesia, Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar revealed that the Indian Air Force lost Rafales to Pakistan during the conflict.
The seminar on ‘Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power’ was organised on June 10 by Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Indonesia. In a 35-minute presentation made at the seminar, Captain (IN) Shiv Kumar said that we lost so many aircraft, but I do agree we did lose some aircraft.
Kumar claimed that Indian pilots were constrained by political directives that barred them from targeting Pakistani military assets, which ultimately led to the losses.
The remarks have sent shockwaves across India’s defence and political circles, exposing the strategic failures of the Modi government during heightened cross-border tensions. Captain Kumar explained that while Indian jets were deployed to strike so-called “terror-linked sites” in Pakistan, they were ordered not to engage with military installations—effectively tying the hands of the IAF during the mission.
This admission shatters the long-standing silence and denials surrounding the incident, which had been buried under layers of official secrecy and aggressive media posturing. Critics say this is more than just a tactical misstep—it is a national embarrassment.
The revelation directly challenges the narrative pushed by the RSS-BJP regime, which has often used military aggression as a political tool while downplaying or covering up failures. Analysts argue that this episode highlights not just the danger of political interference in military operations, but also the Modi government’s inability to handle the consequences of its own aggressive rhetoric.
Observers say the loss of Indian fighter jets—now acknowledged at a global forum—marks one of the most humiliating moments in India’s recent military history, raising serious questions about the competence and judgment of its leadership.
