Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, British ejection seat manufacturer Martin-Baker updated its global tally of lives saved through its systems, increasing the number from 7,784 to 7,788. The update came shortly after Pakistan claimed it had shot down multiple Indian fighter jets in a retaliatory strike overnight.
While one of the four new ejections has been linked to the recent crash of a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet in the Red Sea, three aircraft remain unaccounted for, prompting analysts to connect the remaining ejections with the reported Pakistani action.
India’s Dassault Rafale fighter jets — which were reportedly involved in the operation — are equipped with Martin-Baker Mk16 ejection seats, further strengthening the likelihood that the updated tally reflects the Indian losses.
Pakistan has publicly stated that it downed several Indian aircraft in response to an earlier strike that targeted civilian areas. Though New Delhi has not officially acknowledged the losses, unnamed Indian officials told The New York Times that multiple aircraft had gone down during the operation, without elaborating further.
The discrepancy between official silence and mounting circumstantial evidence — including the Martin-Baker update and third-party confirmations — has added to speculation that at least three Indian fighter jets were shot down in the exchange.
This marks a significant escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors and the most serious aerial confrontation since the 2019 Balakot-Pulwama incident.
