Paris/New Delhi: There is no truth behind Pakistan’s claims of shooting down three Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale aircraft during Operation Sindoor, Dassault Aviation’s chief executive officer Eric Trappier has said.
This is the first reaction from the company that manufactures the Rafales. The IAF purchased 36 of these fighter aircraft through a government-to-government deal between India and France. The Indian Navy has also ordered Rafale Marine aircraft for its indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
Trappier, while speaking to French magazine Challenges, ahead of the Paris Air Show, rejected Pakistan’s claims as “inaccurate” – a polite word for lies.
He also claimed that the Rafale was better than the American F-35 and “much better” than all the Chinese aircraft in the market, while echoing Indian Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan’s words that “a mission’s success is not about zero losses but about fulfilling objectives”.
“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.
“Furthermore, when you operate combat aircraft, you are fulfilling a mission. Mission success isn’t about having zero losses; it’s about having achieved your objectives,” he added.
The CEO pointed out that during the Second World War, it wasn’t said that the Allies lost the war because they lost troops.
“We’ll see if there were losses or not, and if the war aims were achieved. When the truth comes out, some may be surprised,” he said.
“The Rafale perfectly meets the needs of the French armed forces and the countries that have purchased it,” he said.
Pakistan has claimed downing a total of six Indian fighter jets including three Rafales during Operation Sindoor. Gen Chauhan had dismissed these claims as “absolutely incorrect”. He spoke of losses but underlined that mission objectives were the focus and they were achieved.
