Amid Pakistan’s claims of having shot down Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale jets during the recent India-Pakistan military conflict, French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier has firmly dismissed the allegations, labeling them as 'inaccurate.'
What did Eric Trappier say about Pakistan's claims?
In an interview with French magazine Challenges, Trappier said there has been no official communication from the Indian government regarding any Rafale losses during Operation Sindoor, but made it clear that Pakistan's claim of downing three Rafales was "inaccurate".
Trappier, speaking ahead of the Paris Air Show, said, "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."
He further emphasised that evaluating modern combat operations should not be limited to whether any aircraft were lost, but rather on whether the mission objectives were successfully accomplished.
Drawing a parallel to historical military campaigns, Trappier added, "During the Second World War, it was not said that the Allies had lost the war because they had lost troops. We will see if there were losses or not, and if the war aims were achieved. When the truth comes out, some people may be surprised."
Rafale better than F-35?
When asked about the Rafale's performance compared to other fighter jets, Trappier asserted that the Rafale is "the best aircraft in the world," stating it is superior to the F-35 and significantly outperforms all Chinese aircraft currently available in the market.
"It's always complicated to say that we're the best in absolute terms, but I sincerely think that we're the best in compromise. It's obvious that in an air confrontation against an F-22 (US Air Force air superiority stealth fighter, editor's note), it's going to be complicated for the Rafale. But if you want a single aircraft capable of air-to-air missions, reconnaissance, air-to-ground strikes, nuclear missions and being able to embark on an aircraft carrier, I think that the Rafale is indeed the best aircraft in the world, better than the F-35 and much better than all the Chinese aircraft on the market. It perfectly meets the needs of the French armed forces and the countries that have purchased it," he added.
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