Did Political Constraints Cause IAF Losses in Operation Sindoor?
After a statement by General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, in Singapore on June 1 that the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost some aircraft in the battle with Pakistan, another armed forces officer has mentioned the loss of aircraft and claimed that this was because of the 'constraints' imposed by the political leadership. This has created enough heat in the country, to the extent that the establishment was forced to issue a clarification, claiming that the officer was misquoted.
Captain Shiv Kumar, Defence Attache in Indonesia, said that the IAF lost jets in the early phase of Operation Sindoor as a result of restrictions imposed by the political leadership. He was making a presentation of the success of Operation Sindoor as part of a worldwide outreach by India, at the Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma, on June 10.
The video of this presentation, intriguingly, became public knowledge more than a fortnight later, June 29. The event was titled, 'Analysis of the Pakistan-India Air Battle and Indonesia's anticipatory strategies from the perspective of air power'.
Also Read | Compellence, not deterrence, is the way forward
In the video, Captain Kumar is clearly heard saying: 'We did lose some aircraft and that happened only because of the constraint given by the political leadership not to attack their military establishment or their air defences.' He was responding to a submission by an earlier speaker that India lost a 'lot of' aircraft. Capt Kumar starts his rebuttal saying: 'I may not agree with him that we lost so many aircraft but I do agree that we did lose some aircraft.'
He adds: 'After the losses, we changed tactics and we went for their military installations. So, we first achieved suppression of enemy air defence and destruction of enemy air defence and then that's why all our attacks could easily go through using surface-to-air missiles, BrahMos, surface-to-surface missiles.'
On the sidelines of the Singapore Shangri-La Dialogue security forum, General Anil Cahuhan told Bloomberg TV: 'What I can say is, on 7th [May 7] in the initial stages, there were losses, but the numbers—that's not important. What was important is why did these losses occur. So, we rectified that and then went back on 7th, 8th, and 10th—and on 10th in large numbers to hit air bases in Pakistan. [We] penetrated all their air defences with impunity. We carried out precision strikes.'
This issue has since blown over with the Central government refusing to answer questions over the loss of aircraft. In fact, the CDS was viciously targeted on social media by right-wing trolls aligned with the ruling BJP, just as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was, earlier, for evading a question on loss of IAF fighter planes.
Political constraints
But the second issue is far more important because Captain Kumar refers to the 'political constraint'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had repeatedly said that the armed forces had been given full operational freedom to respond to the Pahalgam attacks. This assertion by Captain Kumar runs contrary to the Prime Minister's statement.
Captain Kumar's assertion is in line with the Press Information Bureau press release of May 7, time stamped 1.44 am, which said: 'Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.'
But the fact that this was a political quagmire was not lost on the establishment. The Indian Mission in Indonesia put out a statement the same day the video went viral, June 29. This was posted on the social media platform X at 7.02 pm: 'His [The Defence Attache's] remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a misrepresentation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker. The presentation conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood. It was also explained that the objective of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist infrastructure and the Indian response was non-escalatory.'
Also Read | Operation Sindoor blurred the lines between security and showbiz
Describing the political decision as a tactical error, Sanjeev Gupta, former secretary in the Union Home Ministry, said that if there was a conscious decision at the political level not to attack Pakistan's air force establishments on day 1 of Operation Sindoor, there was no harm in admitting it. 'The idea might have been just to focus on terror camps and end it there. In strategic matters, tactical errors can take place. A military attache shouldn't be left to make a startling revelation in an Indonesian university.'
Pravin Sawhney, a former Army officer and writer, said on his YouTube channel, Force Magazine: 'Shiv Kumar has revealed the reason which no one knew so far...whenever an air force is in a battle, the first target is the air defence because the most immediate danger stems from air defence. We call it SEAD—suppression of enemy air defence. If this [air defence] is not taken out you will suffer losses.'
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that this was a 'direct indictment of the Modi government'. He added: 'No wonder they are ducking our demand for a special session of Parliament...they know they have compromised national security, and they have terrified of what the Congress party will expose before the people of India.'
In a post on X.com, the party said: 'There are several unanswered questions related to the untimely ceasefire – especially when India actually had an upper hand in the escalation.' It demanded that the Prime Minister answer these questions, including why an all-party meeting was not being convened under the PM's leadership and why a special session of Parliament was not convened.
The officer's matter-of-fact statement in Indonesia means that more doubts will crop up over the conduct of Operation Sindoor. The opposition is questioning the timing of the ceasefire and wants to know exactly what the US had asked India to do when the country had the upper hand.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
24 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Gujarat school play allegedly depicting women wearing burqas as terrorists triggers row
A play during an Independence Day programme at a school in Gujarat's Bhavnagar has triggered a row about the alleged depiction of women wearing burqas as terrorists, The Indian Express reported. Videos of the cultural programme were widely shared on social media. On Tuesday, District Education Officer Hitendrasinh D Padheriya issued a notice to the Municipal School Board Administrative Officer Munjal Badmaliya seeking a report within a week about the programme held at the government school, the newspaper reported. The notice was issued based on a representation made by Bandharan Bachav Samiti Bhavnagar, a social organisation, which alleged that the play had portrayed the Muslim community as terrorists. The organisation demanded action against those behind the play, according to The Indian Express. Rajendrakumar Dave, the school principal, said: 'We only wanted to depict what happened in Operation Sindoor.' 'We did not intend to hurt anyone's sentiments,' he told ANI. 'We conducted this event only to invoke patriotism. If any community is hurt, I apologise.' The district education officer sought details of the programme and asked whether the depiction as has been alleged was intentional, and details of the event held at the school. The Bandharan Bachav Samiti Bhavnagar had alleged that the play was 'an attempt by the school staff to hurt religious sentiments and spread unrest in the public'. 'In the play, girls dressed in Muslim attire (burqa) were shown as terrorists, clearly depicting the Muslim community as terrorists,' the organisation alleged, according to The Indian Express. It added that the Muslim community was angry with the teachers, the organisation said. Badmaliya said that the event is held every year on Independence Day and Republic Day. 'This year it was themed on Operation Sindoor and the bravery of our defence forces, and programmes were held in every school,' the newspaper quoted him as saying. 'Nothing was intentional or deliberate.'
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
From Balakot to Sindoor: Inside the operations that made terror camps fair game
The strikes on Balakot in 2019 marked a clear shift. They followed the Pulwama attack, where forty CRPF personnel were killed. For the first time, Indian jets crossed deep into Pakistani territory to destroy a terrorist training camp. That operation set the stage for a bolder security doctrine. Six years later came Operation Sindoor . In May 2025, after civilians were murdered in Pahalgam, India's armed forces launched precision strikes. Drone and missile attacks destroyed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing over a hundred terrorists. Among them were figures tied to the Pulwama bombing and the 1999 IC-814 hijacking. Pakistan's retaliation faltered, its drones and missiles shot down by Indian counter-systems. From the Red Fort that August, Prime Minister Modi called it 'a new normal,' signalling to the world that India would not hesitate again. Drawing the boundaries with Pakistan PM Modi has since laid out five unambiguous lines: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A Tree Blocked This Garage for Years - See What's Inside! Tips and Tricks Undo Every terror attack will be answered decisively. Nuclear blackmail has no sway. Terrorists and their sponsors are treated as one. Talks, if ever, will only be about terrorism or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 'Terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and blood and water cannot flow together.' These words, repeated at rallies and addresses, frame a doctrine that mixes clarity with deterrence. Live Events Building military muscle at home Behind these actions stands a broader transformation. Defence spending rose from Rs 2.53 lakh crore in 2013–14 to Rs 6.81 lakh crore in 2025–26. Domestic production, once negligible, reached Rs 1.50 lakh crore in 2024–25, three times higher than a decade earlier. Today, fighter aircraft, artillery, missile systems, warships, and even aircraft carriers are designed and built in India. Defence exports touched Rs 23,622 crore in 2024–25, reaching over a hundred nations, including the United States, France, and Armenia. The slogan of Atmanirbharta 'self-reliance' has been backed by policy. The Defence Acquisition Procedure of 2020 placed Indian design and manufacturing at the top of the order. The Make categories offered state support for prototypes and opened the field to start-ups and MSMEs. One hundred and forty-six projects have been cleared across the services. Foreign investment rules were relaxed, allowing 74 percent automatic investment and up to full ownership with approval in advanced technologies. Transparency and joint ventures were encouraged too. The Offset Portal tracks commitments by foreign firms. The Strategic Partnership Model has paired Indian companies with global manufacturers. In 2019, an agreement with Russia allowed local production of spares, cutting delays and imports. Technology as a force multiplier Wars ahead will not be fought the way they once were. Anticipating this, the government created the Defence AI Council and the Defence AI Project Agency. Each public-sector defence unit now has its own AI roadmap. The Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO ) has identified nine thrust areas, including cyber security, robotics, soldier support, and space systems. The Sudarshan Chakra Mission, launched in 2025, aims to deliver a full-spectrum national security shield by 2035. Its focus: predictive technologies, precision responses, and indigenous systems that defend both the battlefield and civilian life. Internal security tells another part of the story. Left-Wing Extremism once scarred large swathes of central India. Now, fewer than twenty districts remain affected. Over 8,000 Naxalites gave up arms in the past decade. The toll of violence shrank from 1,936 incidents in 2010 to just 374 in 2024, with civilian and security force deaths falling by 85 percent. New roads, schools, communication links, and welfare schemes helped weaken the insurgency's grip alongside security operations. Atmanirbharta beyond the military Self-reliance is not limited to the armed forces. Food production rose from 246 million tonnes in 2013–14 to nearly 354 million tonnes in 2024–25. Farmers have received more than Rs 3.9 lakh crore under PM-KISAN. India now produces a quarter of the world's milk and has doubled its fish output since 2013. Financial inclusion has expanded dramatically. By March 2025, the RBI's Financial Inclusion Index stood at 67.0, up almost a quarter since 2021. Through the Jan Dhan Yojana, 56 crore people opened accounts worth Rs 2.64 lakh crore. Women make up more than half of these account holders. The World Bank estimates that 89 percent of Indians now have a bank account. Technology, too, has been pulled into the fold. The Rs 76,000 crore semiconductor mission announced in 2021 bore fruit with the launch of 3-nanometre chip design centres in Noida and Bengaluru. By 2025, India's first indigenous chip was ready for production. Put together, these strands form a coherent picture. India today is less willing to wait and more ready to act. Its security is rooted in homegrown capacity, decisive leadership, and a refusal to bow to threats. From Balakot to Sindoor, from food fields to chip foundries, the story is of a nation seeking control over its future rather than reliance on others. A decade on, the change is not just in numbers or hardware but in confidence.
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Rajnath Singh, CDS Gen Chauhan to attend tri-services seminar at Mhow; Op Sindoor on the table
Military officers will share "hard-earned lessons" from India's operational frontlines, the Operation Sindoor experience, and engage in discussions on enhancing jointness in the armed forces as part of a pioneering tri-services seminar on August 26-27 that is themed on the impact of technology on warfare. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Triparthi are scheduled to attend 'Ransamwad 2025' to be held at Army War College, Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday. Three joint doctrines including one on heliborne operations will also be released during the event, they said. "India needs to lead the strategic debate on future war -- we were a Vishwa Guru once, and we need to reclaim that space, and to be more adept at fighting future warfare," a senior official said. The Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff on Wednesday held a curtain-raiser briefing at the Manekshaw Centre at Delhi Cantonment on the upcoming event to be hosted by HQ ARTRAC (Army Training Command) under the aegis of HQ IDS. Lt Gen Vipul Shinghal, Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Doctrine, Organisation and Training) shared the broader details of the two-day seminar, which is themed Impact of Technology on Warfare, and looks at the convergence of ideas on strategy, innovation and national security. The two sub-themes of the seminar are -- Emerging Technologies and Impact on Future Warfare, and Reforms in Institutionalised Training to Catalyse Technological Enablement, he said. Defence Minister Singh will attend the event on August 27, Lt Gen Shinghal said. The key seminar on war, warfare and warfighting is taking place three-and-a-half months after India's Operation Sindoor. Asked if the event was planned before or after the military action in May, a senior official said planning for Ransamwad 2025 predates Operation Sindoor. He added that the Operation Sindoor experience will figure in the discussions. In a video message for the event shared a day earlier on the X handle of HQ IDS, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said "in an era where speed of decision is itself a weapon, we must think, train and fight as one force". "Ransamwad is not just a seminar, it is a strategic dialogue where our officers share hard-earned lessons from India's operational frontlines. From contested borders to cyber battlegrounds, India's security environment is multi-dimensional and dynamic. This makes jointness no longer optional; it is mission-critical. Successful Operation Sindoor is a testimony to this," he said. "Our armed forces are undergoing rapid integration, joint structures are being shaped, tri-service modes are operational, and defence, cyber and space agencies are active. AI, autonomous and quantum systems are now part of military planning. Ransamvad anchors these changes in operational reality," the CISC said in his message. In a post on X in July, the HQ IDS had said, "Arjuna needed Krishna. Astra needed Shastra. In war, wisdom outweighs weaponry. Announcing #RANSAMWAD2025 - a pioneering #TriServices seminar on War, Warfare & Warfighting." Defence Secretary R K Singh; Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, Samir V Kamat; officers from the Army, Navy and the Air Force, veterans, members of the paramilitary forces, defence experts, researchers, industry representatives and defence attaches of various foreign countries are slated to attend the event, the officials said. The CISC in his message welcomed the hosting of the seminar steered by HQ ARTRAC, and said the Air Force and Navy will carry the torch forward in the coming years. "The Integrated Defence Staff sees this not just as a seminar, but as a doctrinal crucible for India's future force. 'Ransamvad' is where India's integrated future takes shape," he asserted. Lt Gen Devendra Sharma, GOC-in-C, ARTRAC in his video message hosted on the X handle of HQ IDS said the Army, Navy and IAF officers will share their thoughts on recent conflicts, emerging technologies, niche and disruptive warfighting technologies, the Operation Sindoor experience, integration of space and warfigting, and training for operations. Under Operation Sindoor, India took a decisive military action in May on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. "Let 'Ransamvad' be the forum, where we not only discuss warfighting, but also define its very course," he said. The HQ IDS said the forum will allow delegates to explore cutting-edge innovations, integrated combat strategies and modernised training frameworks that will equip the Indian armed forces for "future operational challenges", supporting the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
