Dassault CEO rubbishes Pakistan’s claim of downing 3 Rafales

The CEO of Dassault Aviation, maker of Rafale fighters, has opposed Pakistan’s claim of shooting down three of these jets belonging to Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor.

In an interview with French magazine Challenges, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said even though they had no communication from India regarding any Rafale losses, they knew for sure that Pakistan’s claim of shooting down three Rafales was “inaccurate”.

Also read: ‘Jet being downed not important, but why’: CDS on Op Sindoor losses

Full picture not yet available

Operation Sindoor was India’s first major military operation using Rafale jets since their induction in 2020.

Trappier also cautioned against assessing modern military operations based solely on losses. He said it is more important to check whether mission objectives were achieved.

“During World War 2, it was not said that the Allies had lost the war because they had lost troops,” Trappier argued, suggesting that the full picture, once unveiled, may reveal some “surprises”.

Also read: Dassault ties up with Tata Advanced Systems to make Rafale fuselages in India

Rafale’s advantages

Indian defence experts have also mostly dismissed Pakistani claims, pointing to the absence of concrete proof and Islamabad’s record of making exaggerated statements from.

Trappier reminded his audience of the advantages of the Rafale, a 4.5-gen omnirole fighter, over the American F-35 or Chinese jets.

Its strength lies in its flexibility, he said; the Rafale is capable of air-to-air combat, ground strikes, carrier operations, recce missions, and nuclear weapons delivery.