Dassault Aviation Denies CEO Made Comments on Rafale Losses During Operation Sindoor

French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation has formally denied media reports attributing remarks to its Chairman and CEO, Eric Trappier, regarding the alleged loss of Rafale fighter jets during India’s recent Operation Sindoor.

In a statement issued from Saint-Cloud, France, the company clarified:
“Dassault Aviation formally denies that Eric Trappier has made any operational or technical comments regarding the use of the Rafale in this operation.”

The denial follows a series of unverified claims made by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during the Indo-Pakistan military clash that began on May 7. The PAF alleged that it had shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, using Chinese-origin PL-15E missiles launched from J-10C aircraft. These claims, however, were not supported by any concrete evidence or verified combat footage.

Some reports had quoted Eric Trappier as acknowledging a Rafale loss due to technical failure at high altitude, but Dassault has now distanced itself from those remarks entirely, stating that no such comment was made by its top executive.

Disinformation and Denials

The claims by Pakistan sparked significant controversy and raised questions internationally, prompting responses from both French and Indian officials. India’s Defence Secretary RK Singh, in an interview with a media outlet, categorically dismissed the idea that multiple Rafales were lost in the conflict.

“You have used the term Rafales in the plural — I can assure you that is absolutely not correct,” Singh stated, while asserting that Pakistan had suffered far heavier losses in both manpower and equipment.

Earlier, Indian Navy Captain and Defence Attaché to Indonesia, Shiv Kumar, acknowledged that some Indian aircraft were lost during the opening phase of Operation Sindoor. He attributed this to early restrictions imposed by political leadership, which limited Indian strikes to terrorist infrastructure and avoided targeting Pakistani military assets directly. However, he did not confirm the type of aircraft involved.

France Battles Coordinated Disinformation Campaign

Meanwhile, French intelligence agencies have reportedly identified a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the credibility of the Rafale. Officials pointed to efforts allegedly led by Chinese diplomatic and military channels to undermine Dassault’s aircraft in the global market and promote Chinese alternatives.

According to France’s Ministry of Armed Forces, the Rafale was not just attacked as a platform, but also as a symbol of French strategic autonomy and defence industrial capability.

“The disinformation campaign, therefore, did not merely target an aircraft, but more broadly a national image of strategic autonomy, industrial reliability, and solid partnerships,” the ministry said.

These efforts appear to have been timed to coincide with Operation Sindoor and Pakistan’s unverified claims, which raised doubts in some quarters about Rafale’s battlefield performance.

India Yet to Officially Confirm Rafale Loss

The Indian government has not officially confirmed the loss of any Rafale jets during Operation Sindoor. Last month, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan addressed the issue at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, stating that while some aircraft were indeed lost in combat, the Pakistani claim of having downed six Indian jets, including Rafales, was “absolutely incorrect.”

India’s Rafale fleet, acquired from Dassault Aviation under a government-to-government deal, has played a central role in enhancing the Indian Air Force’s air dominance capabilities. The denial from Dassault comes amid continued regional tensions and an active information warfare landscape, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

Team BharatShakti