Operation Sindoor was India’s first major aerial operation involving India’s Rafale fleet since the French-origin fighters were inducted into the IAF in 2020, hailed at the time as a game-changer in South Asia’s aerial balance.
Amid growing speculation over India’s reported loss of a Rafale fighter jet during the early May aerial skirmish with Pakistan, Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier has weighed in, dismissing Pakistani claims and defending the Rafale’s combat record.
In an interview with a French magazine ahead of the Paris Airshow, Trappier pointed out that while India has not officially disclosed details about the alleged incident, the claims made by Pakistan — including that of downing three Rafale jets — are “inaccurate.”
“The Indians did not communicate, so we do not know exactly what happened. What we already know is that the words of the Pakistanis — three destroyed Rafales — are inaccurate,” Trappier said, adding a note of caution until official information is released.
The reported incident has stirred discussion in strategic and defense circles, with questions being raised over whether the Rafale has reached its operational limits in high-stakes combat.
Trappier, however, pushed back strongly on such suggestions.
“When you operate combat aircraft, you complete a mission. The success of the mission is not having zero loss — it is having achieved your objectives,” he asserted, citing historical context. “During the Second World War, it was not said that the Allies had lost the war because they had lost troops…”
The Dassault chief emphasized that modern combat operations are judged by the effectiveness of mission execution, not merely by asset preservation. “We will see if there were losses or not, and if the war goals were achieved. When the truth comes out, some may have surprises,” he remarked cryptically.
While IAF covered, in detail, the extent of damage that was caused by precision targeting that forced the Pakistanis for a ceasefire.
Operation Sindoor was India’s first major aerial operation involving India’s Rafale fleet since the French-origin fighters were inducted into the IAF in 2020, hailed at the time as a game-changer in South Asia’s aerial balance.