WEBDESK: Dassault Aviation has denied making any statement about the alleged performance or losses of Indian Rafale fighter jets during Operation Sindoor, refuting media claims that its CEO Eric Trappier had dismissed reports of Rafales being shot down.
The clarification came on July 8 through an official statement issued from the company’s headquarters in France, following the circulation of a fabricated quote widely shared on Indian social media and media platforms.
The statement was issued to counter misinformation being spread by Indian media outlets, which falsely attributed remarks to Trappier in an apparent effort to downplay Indian Air Force setbacks during the military confrontation with Pakistan.
Indian media claims that French-based media outlets wrongly quoted Trappier as saying that no Rafale jet was shot down during the India-Pakistan military standoff, and that one Indian jet was lost due to technical issues.
Dassault disowns fake quote attributed to CEO
It also claims that the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation has dismissed as false and misleading the media reports claiming its CEO, Eric Trappier, made remarks about the use of Rafale jets during India’s Operation Sindoor.
“In response to certain press reports quoting Dassault Aviation Chairman & CEO, Eric Trappier, about the Sindoor operation, Dassault Aviation formally denies that Eric Trappier has made any operational or technical comments regarding the use of the Rafale in this operation,” the company said in a brief statement.
Yet again, Indian media, encouraged by the RSS-BJP propaganda apparatus, has been exposed for spreading disinformation in a blatant attempt to distort the outcome of Operation Sindoor.
Dassault Aviation’s unequivocal denial of quotes falsely attributed to its CEO, Eric Trappier, has not only unmasked this falsehood but has also delivered a fresh blow to the Modi government and its loyal media outlets.
The farcical claim that “no Rafale jets were downed” during the confrontation with Pakistan reeks of damage control, aimed at covering up the Indian Air Force’s glaring shortcomings.
The laughable statement that they did not lose any aircraft in their tussle with Pakistan smells of suppression of facts on the part of the Indian Air force to hide their inefficiency and the great lapses that had occurred.
This is deceiving international observers but this is not the case. The problem is that military experts and regional experts who are not paid by the government still believe that India is hiding its losses during the operation in terms of assets and image.
This disinformation campaign can follow a comfortable script: Flaunting a military defeat as a win and protecting new-fangled technologies such as the Rafale against criticism.
There is only so much spin that can be put out and quote doctoring that will alter reality. Operation Sindoor was a major strategic setback on the part of India and even though New Delhi seems to have done its best it is becoming clearer and clearer.
It’s time for India to stop underestimating the intelligence of the global defence community. Rather than dragging respected firms like Dassault Aviation into its political theatre, New Delhi would do better to acknowledge its operational lapses and focus on genuine accountability.
Disinformation or damage control?
Previously these false claims were being spread over X (formerly Twitter). The posts claimed that Trappier allegedly said: “What Pakistan is claiming about downing three Rafales is simply not true,” asserting that the Indian Air Force suffered no losses.
Azaad Fact Check has exposed misinformation and fake news spread by an India-based X handle, which falsely quoted the CEO of Dassault Aviation claiming no losses on the Indian side during Operation Sindoor. Dassault Aviation, in its official press release, has clarified that its… https://t.co/ifGvvKNd7N pic.twitter.com/bZqw7DtTwo
— Azaad Fact Check (@azaadfactcheck) July 8, 2025
However, on July 8, Dassault Aviation issued an official statement refuting these claims. The company clarified that Eric Trappier never made any public remarks regarding the operational status or performance of the Rafale jets during the operation.
In its press release, the French aerospace manufacturer explicitly stated that the CEO had not commented on any technical or combat-related issues involving the aircraft.
Azaad Fact Check notes that there is no record or official reference that shows that Trappier made any statements regarding the role or the performance of the Rafales in Operation Sindoor.
The quote is a falsehood that was initially shared on a verified disinformation handle with base in India, which has been reported to publish misleading stories on other occasions. There were other accounts as well that helped to increase the scale of the misinformation as several accounts strengthened the impact of the post.
Read more: Azaad fact check: India’s Rafale cover-up exposed amid growing diplomatic isolation
