'Absolutely incorrect': Rafale maker on Pakistan’s claim on Indian Rafale; says mission success is key

Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier has firmly rejected Pakistan's claim that it shot down multiple Rafale fighter jets during the recent military conflict with India, describing Islamabad's version of events as “inaccurate.” His comments mark the first response from the French manufacturer after weeks of speculation following the brief but intense air conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in early May.


“The Indians haven’t communicated, so we don’t know exactly what happened. What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying [three Rafales destroyed] is inaccurate,” Trappier said in an interview with Challenges, a French magazine.

“On the other hand, when you operate combat aircraft, you are carrying out a mission. The success of the mission is not having zero losses; it’s having achieved its objectives. During the Second World War, it wasn’t said that the Allies had lost the war because they had lost troops… We’ll see if there were losses or not, and if the war aims were achieved. When the truth comes out, some people may be surprised.”

Trappier's remarks come weeks after Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan had publicly dismissed Pakistan’s assertions of having downed six Indian warplanes during Operation Sindoor.

Also read: 'India lost jets but changed tactics to hit Pakistan hard,' says CDS Anil Chauhan

“The information is absolutely incorrect,” General Chauhan told Bloomberg TV during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being downed.”


He stressed that India had recognised and corrected tactical errors swiftly. “The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range.”

Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was a coordinated military response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April. General Chauhan said India successfully struck deep into Pakistani territory with “precision of a meter” and exposed the ineffectiveness of Pakistan’s imported weaponry. He also downplayed claims of nuclear brinkmanship, calling it “far-fetched” and adding that communication channels remained open throughout.