CDS Gen Anil Chauhan: Losses in War Secondary to Achieving Objectives, Operation Sindoor a Strategic Success
Two days after seemingly acknowledging that India lost fighter jets during Operation Sindoor, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has clarified that setbacks in warfare do not define the outcome — what matters most is achieving strategic objectives.
Speaking at Savitribai Phule Pune University on Tuesday during a lecture titled “Future Wars and Warfare,” Gen Chauhan addressed the evolving dynamics of global conflict and the resilience of modern armed forces.
“Professional military forces are not deterred by losses or setbacks. Maintaining high morale despite adversities is critical,” the CDS said.
“Adaptability is the hallmark of a capable military. One must analyse what went wrong, correct it, and return stronger. There’s no room for hesitation or fear.”
About reports of India losing combat aircraft during a dogfight with the Pakistan Air Force on May 8, Chauhan stated,
“Losses in a war are not as significant as meeting the objectives. What’s essential is learning from tactical errors and executing better in the future.”
Earlier, in an interview with Bloomberg in Singapore, Gen Chauhan had indicated that Indian jets were indeed downed during the operation.
“It’s not about whether the jets went down — it’s about understanding why. We analysed our mistake, fixed it, and successfully launched another long-range strike just two days later,” he explained.
Addressing India’s military strategy during Operation Sindoor, Chauhan reiterated that Pakistan could no longer rely on terrorism as a strategic weapon.
Pakistan must stop state-sponsored terrorism. India will not remain a victim of terror or nuclear intimidation,” Chauhan said, reinforcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier stance following the ceasefire.
He described the operation as a turning point in India’s anti-terror posture: “We’ve elevated our approach to counter-terrorism.
Our military response now targets not only terror camps but also the infrastructure that sustains them. We’ve drawn a new operational line, linking terrorism to vital resources like water to send a clear message: the policy of ‘bleeding India by a thousand cuts’ will not be tolerated anymore.”
Reflecting on the philosophical and historical dimensions of warfare, Chauhan noted: “Warfare is as old as civilisation itself.
Every conflict contains two key ingredients: violence and the political motives behind it. Communication also plays a central role throughout.”
Referring to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, he called the act “deeply disturbing” and “religiously motivated violence that has no place in a modern, civilised world.”
He added, “Such heinous crimes stir revulsion in society and remind us of the long history of terror that India has endured.”
Chauhan also drew attention to provocative remarks made by Pakistan’s army chief Gen Asim Munir, who in April described Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and vowed it would never be separated from Pakistan — a sentiment Chauhan indirectly dismissed by underlining India’s strategic resolve.
Highlighting the disproportionate burden India has borne in the global fight against terror, the CDS concluded:
“While the West may have experienced one or two major attacks, India has lost nearly 20,000 lives to terrorism. That scale of suffering demands a firm, unwavering response.”
