India’s air force states that all pilots have “returned safely” after an apparent air battle on the night of 6-7 May but suggests that aircraft were lost.
In a briefing with Indian media, Air Marshal AK Bharti said that all Indian pilots are safe.
“All I can say is that we have achieved our objectives that we selected, and all our pilots are back home,” says Bharti.
Pressed on whether combat aircraft were lost during India’s strike against terrorist locations, Bharti suggests that aircraft had been lost but provided no details.
“We are in a combat scenario and losses are a part of combat,” he says.
“The question that you must ask us, and which indeed we must ask ourselves, is have we achieved our objectives of decimating the terrorist camps? And the answer is a thumping yes.”
While New Delhi has yet to explicitly confirm the loss of aircraft, US officials have told Reuters that Pakistan air force Chengdu J-10C fighters had shot down at least two aircraft. Of these, at least one was a Dassault Aviation Rafale.
A French intelligence official also told CNN that Pakistan downed at least one Rafale.
The reports suggest that the Indian jets were downed with long-range Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missiles launched from within Pakistani airspace. The target aircraft were apparently well inside Indian airspace, lending credence to the statement that the pilots were recovered.
Photographic imagery of the apparent crash site of the Rafale registered BS 001 has appeared on social media, although FlightGlobal has identified some discrepancies.
Media reports indicate that an uneasy ceasefire is in place between the two countries after four days of clashes.
