Trappier, speaking via a French defence publication, noted the aircraft experienced a failure above 12,000 metres during a long‑duration training sortie. The jet’s spectral electronic warfare suite recorded no hostile missile launches or radar contacts, and flight logs corroborate the absence of combat activity.
This statement directly refutes Pakistan’s claim of downing multiple Rafales during India’s Operation Sindoor in May. That operation, which followed a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, saw the Indian Air Force conducting strikes on terror infrastructure across the border. In response, Pakistan’s military asserted it had shot down as many as three Rafales and two Su-30s using J‑10C fighters with PL‑15E missiles. However, no verifiable evidence—radar tracks, crash images or credible eyewitness testimony—has surfaced to support this claim.
India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, had acknowledged that some aircraft were lost during Operation Sindoor but firmly denied any Rafales were downed. He described Pakistan’s statements as “absolutely incorrect” at the Shangri‑La Dialogue in Singapore. Naval Captain Shiv Kumar, India’s Defence Attaché to Indonesia, also conceded that losses occurred due to rules of engagement intended to avoid strikes on Pakistani air defences, but did not confirm any Rafale losses.
Dassault now distances itself partly from Trappier’s comments. In a corporate statement, the company said Trappier had not offered any technical or operational analysis of the jet’s involvement in Operation Sindoor, insisting that such remarks were misreported. The firm emphasised that it neither confirmed nor disputed whether the loss occurred during the exercise or was entirely unrelated. The incident remains under investigation by relevant agencies.
Trappier also described Pakistan’s assertions of shooting down three Rafales as “inaccurate and unfounded”. He noted the aircraft’s SPECTRA electronic warfare suite would have detected hostile missile launches, and no such alerts were registered at the time of the aircraft’s disappearance. Dassault stated it has transparently reported aircraft losses in past operations, such as those in the Sahel region, and pledged to apply the same clarity regarding this incident.
Paris has raised concerns over a campaign of disinformation targeting Dassault’s flagship fighter. French intelligence believes China is amplifying anti‑Rafale narratives to promote its own aircraft, such as the J‑10C, by pressuring governments in countries like Indonesia to reconsider Rafale purchases. Thousands of social media posts, doctored images and AI‑generated clips were reportedly seeded to influence global opinion ahead of key defence tenders and competition with Chinese‑built fighters.
Dassault’s vigilance on this front is intensified by high‑value international contracts. Over 500 Rafales have been built, with close to 300 delivered abroad to nations including Egypt, Qatar, Greece, the UAE, Croatia, Serbia, Indonesia and India. The jet is also under consideration by countries like Malaysia, Colombia and Saudi Arabia.