The French Navy has forcefully rejected claims made by a Pakistan-based media outlet alleging that India’s Rafale fighter jets were downed during clashes associated with Operation Sindoor earlier this year.

The Navy described the report as a deliberate fabrication filled with misinformation and disinformation aimed at manipulating public perception following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April, which claimed 26 civilian lives.

The controversy began after Geo TV, a leading Pakistani broadcaster, published an article on 21 November asserting that a senior French naval officer had confirmed Pakistani air superiority during border skirmishes with India. The report further claimed that Rafale aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force were shot down — an assertion the French Navy categorically dismissed as false and baseless.

In a strongly worded statement posted on its official X account, the Marine Nationale clarified that all statements attributed to the French officer in question, Captain Yvan Launay, were entirely fabricated. 

The Navy emphasised that the Pakistani outlet not only misquoted French officers but even identified the wrong person, referring to the officer as “Jacques Launay” instead of his actual name. Such errors, the Navy said, underscored the article’s lack of credibility and intent to spread disinformation.

According to the French Navy, Captain Launay serves as the commander of the naval air station at Landivisiau, the principal base for Rafale Marine operations. His professional role bears no operational connection to Indo-Pakistani conflicts.

His participation at a recent Indo-Pacific conference, the Navy stated, revolved solely around technical and doctrinal themes such as carrier strike group operations, Rafale Marine mission profiles, and the challenges faced by naval aviators in high-intensity air warfare.

The French clarification made it clear that Captain Launay neither confirmed nor commented on any aspects of India’s Operation Sindoor. He refrained entirely from addressing questions about alleged Indian losses or accusations of Chinese electronic interference said to have targeted Indian aircraft during the operation.

Moreover, the French statement pointedly denied that Captain Launay made any mention of the Chinese J-10 fighter, contrary to Pakistani claims that he compared the two aircraft types.

The disputed Geo TV article had gone further, quoting the officer as having criticised Indian operational handling of the Rafale system, suggesting the aircraft’s radar had “failed to perform properly.” It also alleged that the French commander claimed “Rafale can compete and defeat the Chinese J-10C in any combat situation.” These attributions, the French Navy insisted, were entirely invented, reaffirming that Captain Launay had made no such remarks.

French defence authorities underscored that the misrepresentation of official personnel and their statements was unacceptable, particularly when it could influence sensitive regional perceptions

The Navy’s statement characterised the Pakistani media narrative as “extensive misinformation and disinformation,” noting that it misled not only the Pakistani public but also potentially international observers who may have encountered the claims through online platforms.

Paris also reiterated that misinformation targeting defence-related topics undermines both diplomatic trust and professional military exchanges. The episode, officials noted, highlighted the growing challenges posed by disinformation in the digital era, where unverified claims can gain traction rapidly. 

The French Navy’s response aimed to restore factual accuracy and defend the integrity of its personnel against what it viewed as malicious propaganda.

The manufactured narrative around Rafale losses, now conclusively discredited by the French Navy, follows a broader pattern of exaggerated reporting by Pakistan-based outlets following Operation Sindoor.

Analysts suggest that the attempt to frame India’s advanced fighter platforms in a negative light reflects ongoing information warfare strategies intended to influence perception rather than reflect on-ground realities.

In conclusion, the French Navy’s robust rebuttal serves as a clear warning against the misuse of official identities to fabricate international narratives. It reaffirmed that Captain Yvan Launay’s public remarks were confined strictly to the technical and tactical aspects of naval aviation — far removed from the combat scenarios falsely presented by the Pakistani media outlet.

Based On ANI Report