Dassault Says No Rafale Was Shot Down in Operation Sindoor, Calls Pakistan’s Claims False

A big air battle took place on 7 May 2025, when India launched Operation Sindoor — a large and intense air strike against terror camps inside Pakistan. The Indian Air Force (IAF) used its best fighter planes, including the Rafale, during this operation. Soon after the attack, Pakistan claimed it had shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, using its J-10C fighter planes armed with PL-15E missiles.

However, there was a problem. Even after days of these claims, no proof was shown by Pakistan. No photos, no videos, no wreckage — nothing. It quickly started to look like a false story made up to claim a fake victory.

To clear up the confusion, Éric Trappier, the Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation (the company that makes Rafale jets) spoke up. In an interview with a French aviation magazine, he said that Pakistan’s claims were false and baseless. He explained that Rafale jets are equipped with the Spectra electronic warfare system, which can detect enemy missiles and threats. But during Operation Sindoor, the system showed no sign of any enemy attack. Also, the flight records of the Indian Air Force confirmed that no Rafale was shot down in combat.

Some news reports said that Trappier admitted one Rafale was lost, but due to a technical issue at a high altitude and not because of any Pakistani missile. Later, Dassault Aviation officially denied that Trappier made any operational or technical comments about the operation. They clarified that he had not said anything like that regarding Rafale’s performance in Operation Sindoor.

Things took an even bigger turn when France’s Defence Ministry accused China of spreading fake news. French intelligence found out that Chinese embassies and their online teams were sharing fake pictures, AI-made videos, and false stories about Rafales being shot down. Their goal was to damage Rafale’s reputation and promote China’s J-10C fighter jets as a better and cheaper option to other countries.

This was not just about fighter jets — it was about business, diplomacy, and trust. If people believed Rafale jets were weak, countries might stop buying them and instead look at Chinese fighter planes. France’s Defence Ministry said this was a planned move to harm France’s defence industry and its image as a reliable partner in the global arms market.

On India’s side, the government made a clear statement. Defence Secretary R.K. Singh told a news channel that the claim of losing multiple Rafales was absolutely untrue. He said India had caused much bigger losses to Pakistan in terms of terrorist deaths and damaged military assets. India admitted it lost One aircraft in the operation but strongly denied that three Rafales were among them.

Captain Shiv Kumar, India’s defence attaché to Indonesia, later explained that some planes were lost on the first day, but mainly because the government had given strict orders to only hit terrorist camps, not military airbases or air defences. This made the missions a bit riskier, and it led to a few losses.

In between all this, General Jérôme Bellanger, the head of the French Air Force, told the press that he had seen evidence suggesting India lost one Rafale, a Mirage 2000, and a Sukhoi fighter. If true, it would be the first Rafale ever lost in combat out of over 500 built so far.

At the same time, India’s Air Force also hit back at Pakistan. Air Marshal A.K. Bharti said that India had shot down several Pakistani planes, stopping them from entering Indian airspace. Unconfirmed reports suggested that Pakistan lost several JF-17 Thunders, Mirage III/Vs, an F-16, a C-130 transport aircraft, and two Saab Erieye airborne radar planes. Losing those radar planes was a big blow to Pakistan, as they act like flying control towers, keeping an eye on enemy fighters and missiles from far away.

Meanwhile, China denied France’s accusations, calling them “groundless rumours and slander”, and said it always follows international rules when selling military equipment.

As the dust settled, Dassault Aviation’s stock price, which had dropped briefly during the controversy, started to rise again after India’s Defence Secretary rejected Pakistan’s claims.

In the end, this incident showed how modern wars are not only fought with missiles and fighter planes but also through fake news, online propaganda, and information warfare. While the actual battle in the sky was over quickly, the battle of headlines and rumours continued for weeks.

Final Word:

Operation Sindoor was a tough and dangerous mission. While India admitted one losses, the claim that three Rafales were shot down by Pakistan was proven false. Dassault stood by its aircraft and cleared the air. At the same time, the incident exposed how countries like China and Pakistan may try to use social media and false stories as weapons in modern-day conflicts.