Pakistan Lying About Shooting Down Rafales During Operation Sindoor: Dassault CEO

New Delhi: Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier has strongly rejected Pakistan’s claims that it shot down 3 Indian Rafale fighter jets all the way through the hot army conflict below Operation Sindoor. Speaking to French mag Challenges simply ahead of the Paris Air Show, Trappier mentioned, “The reports of Indian Rafales being lost are  inaccurate.” He expressed sturdy self belief within the Rafale’s functions, highlighting its operational excellence and survivability in battle scenarios. Trappier additionally mentioned that whilst the Rafale may face demanding situations towards the USA F-22 because of its stealth and air superiority, it’s awesome to the F-35 in versatility and higher than any Chinese fighter jet lately to be had.

Pakistan’s Changing Statements and Lack of Evidence

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made contradicting statements in regards to the collection of Indian Rafales shot down. While Pakistani Air Force officers to begin with claimed 3 Rafales had been destroyed, the Prime Minister later mentioned in Azerbaijan that 4 Rafales have been shot down. In some speeches, he even claimed as many as six Indian plane had been downed, however those numbers have now not been constant.

Despite those claims, Pakistan has now not supplied any concrete proof to make stronger the claims that Indian jets, together with Rafales, had been shot down. Fact-checking by means of unbiased analysts and the Indian govt has discovered no credible evidence, corresponding to wreckage or verified imagery, to make sure Pakistan’s statements. However, the photographs and movies circulated on-line had been later debunked as outdated, unrelated, or manipulated content material.

Indian Response

India has formally denied Pakistan’s claims of taking pictures down more than one jets. In an interview with Bloomberg, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan categorically mentioned that India was once in a position to know the tactical mistake it made, treatment it, rectify it, after which put into effect it once more after two days flying all its jets once more, wearing out long-range moves. 

Reports on Pakistani Losses

Some Indian publications have reported that Pakistan misplaced a number of of its personal plane all the way through the battle, bringing up authentic assets. However, there was no authentic affirmation from the Indian govt about those claims. What is showed, although, is the lack of a minimum of one Pakistani Saab 2000 Erieye Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) plane. Retired Pakistani Air Marshal Masood Akhtar admitted in an interview that this high-value surveillance airplane was once destroyed all the way through India’s Operation Sindoor at the evening of May 9–10 in Bholari.

Background: Operation Sindoor

India introduced Operation Sindoor based on a dangerous terrorist assault in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26 vacationers on April 22. On May 7, Indian forces centered 9 terror camps inside of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir the use of precision airstrikes. The operation aimed to ship a powerful message towards cross-border terrorism whilst heading off escalation by means of steerage transparent of Pakistani army installations.