Dassault CEO makes BIG statement on Pakistan's claims of downing Indian Rafale jets, says, 'What Pakistanis are saying is...'

Eric Trappier, the chief executive officer (CEO) of France's Dassault Aviation which makes the Rafale fighter jets, has rejected Pakistan's claims of downing several Rafales of the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Operation Sindoor last month. In an interview with the French magazine Challenges, Trappier said the Indian neighbour's claims were "simply not true." He further stated that his company had received no official communication from India regarding any such losses.

'Reality may surprise many'
Trappier, 65, who has been the CEO of Dassault Aviation for over a decade, told the said magazine, "What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying about destroying three Rafale planes is inaccurate." When complete details become known, "the reality may surprise many," he added in the interview, held ahead of the Paris Air Show.
"If you want a single aircraft capable of air-to-air combat, reconnaissance, ground strikes, nuclear deterrence, and aircraft carrier deployment, Rafale is unmatched," he said of the fighter jet. "It's far better than anything China currently offers."
As per reports, India presently has 36 Rafale fighter jets.

India already rejected claims
Officials in Pakistan have repeatedly claimed that India lost several of its aircraft, including three Rafale combat jets, during the dayslong conflict between the Asian countries in early May. However, no evidence has been released to support the claims. India has already denied that any of its fighter jets were destroyed during the attacks.

India-Pakistan conflict
India launched coordinated precision strikes on numerous terrorist bases in Pakistan on May 7, two weeks after a brazen terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, as New Delhi said the involved terrorists were associated with outfits operating from Pakistan. In retaliation, Pakistan launched a series of attacks using drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted mid-air by Indian air defense systems. A ceasefire between the two nations was announced following four days of hostilities, on May 10.