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Did India lose Rafales? Dassault CEO gives curt response on Pakistan's claim
Rafale-maker Dassault Aviation's CEO Eric Trappier said that what the Pakistanis are saying is "inaccurate.”
Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier has dismissed Pakistan's claim that India lost Rafale jets during last month's conflict, saying what Islamabad said is "inaccurate". Dassault Aviation manufactures Rafale jets, the Indian Air Force's most advanced fighter plane.
Speaking to Challenges, a French magazine, Trappier refuted Pakistan’s claim that three Rafale jets were shot down during the May 7–10 conflict between the Indian and Pakistani forces.
Responding to a question about reports suggesting "India’s loss of at least one Rafale" during the confrontation, Trappier said, “The Indians haven't communicated, so we don't know exactly what happened. What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying is inaccurate.”
He added perspective on air combat outcomes, emphasising that the success of a military mission cannot be judged solely by the absence of losses.
“When you operate combat aircraft, you are carrying out a mission. The mission's success is not having zero losses, it's having achieved its objectives.”
The Dassault CEO drew a historical parallel: “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, and if the war aims were achieved. When the truth comes out, some people may be surprised,” said Trappier.
Islamabad had earlier claimed that it shot down six Indian aircraft on May 7 and 10. The hostilities were triggered after India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
India has so far not given a detailed breakdown of aircraft losses during the operation. However, Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General Air Operations, addressed a similar query in a May 11 press briefing.
“We are in a combat scenario; losses are a part of combat,” he stated, emphasising the mission's success. Bharti added, “The question you must ask is whether we have achieved our objective of decimating the terrorist camps. The answer is a thumping yes.”
India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, echoed similar sentiments. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chauhan called Pakistan’s claims “absolutely incorrect.” While he did confirm that Indian jets were downed during the early stages of the conflict, he did not specify how many or whether Rafales were among them.
When asked whether the Rafale still stands among the world’s best combat aircraft, Trappier firmly stood by the fighter jet’s credentials.
“I think that the Rafale is indeed the best aircraft in the world, better than the F-35 and much better than all the Chinese aircraft in the market.”
He acknowledged that the Rafale could face challenges in a direct engagement with aircraft like the F-22. However, he stressed its versatility:
“It's always complicated to say that we're the best in absolute terms, but I sincerely think that we're the best in compromise… Suppose you want a single aircraft capable of air-to-air missions, reconnaissance, air-to-ground strikes, nuclear missions and being able to embark on an aircraft carrier. In that case, I think that the Rafale is indeed the best aircraft in the world.”
