AFTERBURNER EFFECT

Three months after striking deep inside Pakistan, the IAF reveals a few surprises in its kill tally—raising questions about timing, politics and narrative control

- By PRADIP R. SAGAR

THREE MONTHS AFTER THE GUNS FELL SILENT, the head of the Indian Air Force finally spoke. At the 16th edition of the Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru on August 9, the incumbent, A.P. Singh, broke months of speculation with a blunt averment: that Operation Sindoor had taken out at least six Pakistani warplanes in the air—five fighter jets and “one large aircraft”—and crippled key military installations deep inside enemy territory. It was the first official affirmation of what many in the military establishment had quietly hinted at since the 88-hour campaign ended on May 10. And yet, the timing raises the obvious question: why now?

The government has always insisted that Operation Sindoor met all its objectives. Supporters of the delayed revelation call it a reaffirmation of victory. Critics see it differently—arguing that such a long wait blunts the psychological and political impact, leaving space for doubt and enemy counter-narratives.

WHY THE DELAY

From the outset, the IAF had maintained—albeit quietly—that it had struck Pakistani jets, citing electronic signatures and strong intelligence. But with no photographic evidence of the wreckage—believed to have fallen on the Pakistani side—the force refrained from making an official statement.

Also, electronic warfare data is notoriously difficult to declassify without revealing sensitive methods. But the Director General of Air Operations (DGAO) had mentioned the “kills” during his briefings, while insisting that they had to be confirmed before any final announcement. A senior IAF official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it took them considerable time to validate the “confirmed kills”, collating inputs from multiple surveillance and intelligence systems.