An international research report has challenged India’s narrative of air superiority, with a leading aviation publication questioning official claims made by New Delhi.
According to a report published in the British aviation magazine Key Aero, four Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets were destroyed during a 52-minute aerial engagement between Pakistan and India.
The report refers to the aerial engagement on May 7, 2025, which Pakistan calls Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, launched in retaliation for India’s Operation Sindoor.
The report identified the allegedly destroyed aircraft by serial numbers BS001, BS021, BS022, and BS027.
The magazine noted that India has failed to present clear photographic evidence confirming the safety or status of these aircraft bearing the cited serial numbers.
The report further stated that Pakistan’s multi-domain operations severely disrupted the Indian Air Force, leaving Indian pilots ineffective during the engagement.
The issue sparked controversy in India after Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan acknowledged aircraft losses in an interview, drawing sharp criticism from Indian defence analysts.
The British publication also claimed that India’s overall losses included four Rafale jets, a MiG-29, an Su-30 fighter aircraft, and a Heron drone.
It further alleged that on May 10, a JF-17 Block-III fighter jet disabled India’s S-400 air defence system at Udhampur.
Additionally, the report stated that the Pakistan Air Force destroyed an Indian command and control system in Barnala, delivering another major blow.
It described the operation as the first instance in which an air force effectively combined cyber and conventional military actions in a coordinated strike.
It is pertinent to note that General Anil Chauhan, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, had acknowledged the loss of Indian aircraft during a previous interview with Bloomberg.
Pakistan emerged victorious over India in 4-day conflict, says US Congress report
