Dassault CEO Eric Trappier denies Pakistan’s claim of shooting down three Indian Rafale jets

Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier has rejected Pakistan’s claim that three Indian Rafale fighter jets were shot down during the brief conflict with India from May 7 to 10, calling Islamabad’s assertions “inaccurate.”

Dassault Aviation, the French aerospace giant, manufactures the Rafale, considered the Indian Air Force’s most advanced fighter aircraft. Speaking to French magazine Challenges, Trappier stated, “The Indians haven’t communicated, so we don’t know exactly what happened. What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying is inaccurate.”

Pakistan had earlier claimed that its forces had downed six Indian jets, including three Rafales, during the conflict, which erupted after India launched strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor. The Indian action was in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22.

Commenting on the outcome of such military operations, Trappier added, “When you operate combat aircraft, you are carrying out a mission. The mission’s success is not having zero losses, it’s having achieved its objectives. We’ll see if there were losses, and if the war aims were achieved. When the truth comes out, some people may be surprised.”

Meanwhile, Dassault’s growing ties with India’s defense industry continue to strengthen. Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) have signed four production transfer agreements, under which fuselage components for the Rafale fighter jets will be manufactured in India for the first time. TASL is setting up a state-of-the-art facility in Hyderabad to produce key fuselage sections for the Rafale, marking a significant milestone in India’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities.

The partnership between Dassault and Tata comes as the French firm remains a frontrunner in India’s major fighter aircraft procurement program, which aims to add 114 new jets to the Indian Air Force’s fleet.

Additionally, India and France recently finalized an intergovernmental agreement for the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine jets for the Indian Navy at an estimated cost of ₹64,000 crore, further cementing defense ties between the two nations.