Report Claims Four Indian Rafale Jets Shot Down in May Skirmish with Pakistan

LONDON — A British defence magazine has published a report alleging that four of India’s advanced Rafale fighter jets were shot down by Pakistan during a brief aerial engagement in May, identifying the aircraft by serial numbers.

According to an investigative report by Key Aero, the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost four Rafale aircraft — bearing serial numbers BS-001, BS-021, BS-022 and BS-027 — during a 52-minute air battle between the two nations. The magazine stated that India has not released clear imagery or official documentation about the fate of these jets.

The report further claims that Pakistan’s multi-domain operations during the conflict significantly weakened the IAF, which allegedly also suffered losses of MiG-29 and Su-30 fighter jets, as well as Heron drones.

In addition, Key Aero alleged that on May 10, a Pakistani JF-17C Block 3 aircraft destroyed an Indian S-400 air defence system in Udhampur, while Pakistani forces targeted command-and-control infrastructure in Barnala.

The magazine also asserted that Pakistan integrated cyber warfare with conventional operations for the first time, disrupting nearly 96% of India’s social media networks and digital infrastructure during the confrontation.

The report references a previous interview in which Indian Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan acknowledged the loss of Indian aircraft without specifying numbers. It also recalls that prior to the May engagement, the Pakistan Air Force downed an Indian MiG-21 during Operation Swift Retort in 2019.

Official responses from the Indian and Pakistani governments regarding these specific claims have not yet been issued. The report comes amid ongoing regional tensions, though the conflict referenced in May did not escalate into broader warfare.