French intel's MASSIVE revelation! China targeted Rafale reputation after..., French air force chief says…
New Delhi: Following Operation Sindoor, China attempted to cast doubt on the effectiveness of France's flagship Rafale fighter jets, according to the French intelligence report. The defence attachés in Chinese embassies were asked to lead the charge to undermine the sale and performance of Rafale jets as part of an effort to get countries to stop buying the French military fighter, according to the Associated Press.
For the French defence industry, sales of the Rafale fighter jet and other armaments bring most of the business to them, which even aided Paris in strengthening ties with Asian nations, where China is quite a dominant regional power.
According to AP, an anonymous French military official released this information. This comes when France is also claiming to fight a disinformation campaign against their Rafale jet. These campaigns are further fuelled by Pakistan, and its ally China, as it claimed they downed five Indian Air Force aircrafts during the conflict between the two countries in May. What Pakistan say?
Islamabad claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft, including three Rafales, four days after the conclusion of the strikes. While India has acknowledged military losses, it has not officially disclosed the exact number of aircraft lost during Operation Sindoor.
According to France Air Force Chief Gen Jerome Bellanger, there was evidence of only three losses, out of which only one was a Rafale, the other two being a Russian Sukhoi and a Mirage-2000, which is another previous generation French jet.
The official added that this was the first time a Rafale has been lost during combat, though there is no official information from Indian authorities. Claims made by French Intel
According to French intelligence, Pakistan's claims would cause it to face questions about the jet's performance from potential customers, and would attract additional doubts from the eight countries that already purchased it.
It was also revealed that Chinese officials have tried to drive away potential clients of the jet. Despite the claims, France is unable to link the disinformation campaign directly to Beijing, while
Beijing says these allegations are 'slander.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
17 minutes ago
- India Today
Unpolitics: Nitin Gadkari on highways, green fuel and political journey
28:31 The Indian defence capabilities are going to get a big boost with the government approving the "execution model" for implementing a major indigenous project to develop fifth-generation, deep-penetration advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) for the Air Force, potentially making us the fourth country to possess such stealth fighter jets. At the moment, the plans are to import them.
The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
How is Mizoram handling the refugee crisis?
The story so far: Mizoram has been grappling with a refugee crisis since the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar. After months of lull beyond the State's borders, some 4,000 refugees crossed over from Myanmar in the first week of July following a fratricidal battle between two rival armed groups. Mizoram is now caught between pushing back the refugees who are ethnically related to the State's dominant Mizos and letting them stay despite limited resources and a tepid response from the Centre. What triggered the fresh inflow of people? Within a week from July 3, some 4,000 from Myanmar's Chin State crossed into Mizoram's Champhai district. This was after a fierce gunfight between two anti-junta armed groups, the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and the Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram (CDF-H). The two groups are part of the People's Defence Force aligned with the pro-democracy National Unity Government of Myanmar, which has seized control of large swathes of the Chin State from the junta over the last few months. They are said to have turned against each other to control areas in the region deemed strategic for trade with India. Indian intelligence officials said the CNDF prevailed over the CDF-H and captured its camps. While the sounds of gunshots have ceased across the Tiau river, which marks a segment of the 510-km border between the two countries, the refugees have not mustered the courage to return to Khawmawi, the village facing Mizoram's Zokhawthar. Champhai district authorities recorded 3,980 Myanmar nationals in Zokhawthar, a major border trade village, and Saikhumphai on July 6. When did Mizoram's refugee crisis begin? Present-day Mizoram has been used to Myanmar nationals moving in and out of the State even before the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between the two countries came into existence in 1968, allowing residents along their 1,643-km-long border to travel up to 40 km inside. The limit was reduced to 16 km from the border in 2004, and additional regulations were enforced in 2016. The Centre announced the suspension of the FMR in February 2024, but there has been no official notification or bilateral agreement in this regard, apart from the Ministry of Home Affairs bringing in a fresh protocol in December 2024 to limit the free movement to 10 km. The regulations had little impact on the ground until the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar drove thousands into Mizoram. The State's government, civil society groups, and villagers provided food, shelter, and security to the refugees on humanitarian grounds, although the Ministry of Home Affairs asked the northeastern States bordering Myanmar not to let the refugees in. The refugee crisis deepened when some 2,000 Bawm people sought refuge after fleeing persecution in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts in 2022, and thousands of Kuki-Zo people displaced by the ethnic clash in Manipur crossed over. Mizoram houses more than 40,000 shelter-seekers from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Manipur. How is the State dealing with the situation? The dominant Mizo community of Mizoram shares ethnic and familial ties with the Chins of Myanmar, the Bawms of Bangladesh, and the Kuki-Zos of Manipur. All belong to the greater Zo ethnic group. In 2024, Chief Minister Lalduhoma told the Centre that ethnic affiliations and humanitarian reasons prevent his government from pushing the refugees back to where they came from. Influential organisations such as the Young Mizo Association (YMA), church bodies, and resourceful individuals have been contributing in cash and kind to take care of the basic needs of the refugees, Myanmar government officials and politicians among them. Initially reluctant, the Centre provided ₹8 crore as assistance to provide relief for the refugees. However, some villagers began to feel the pressure of handling waves of refugees. In March, the Farkawn village council in Champhai district issued an order asking all Myanmar refugees to stop trading by March 31 and desist from moving out of their designated camps. Civil society groups issued similar diktats in Melthum, a village in Aizawl district, and Lawngtlai town later. In a departure from the hospitality extended since 2021, the refugees were threatened with eviction if they did not comply with the order. Almost simultaneously, Aizawl-based activist V.L. Thlamuanpuia wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, underlining the churning in the State over the refugee issue. He stated that the uncontrolled movement of Myanmar refugees was threatening national security, changing the demography, and draining local resources. How is the government responding? India is neither a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention nor does it have a specific national law on refugees, and it usually deals with them under laws related to foreigners. The country, however, has a history of hosting refugees from neighbouring countries and often works with the United Nations to determine refugee status. New Delhi has been talking tough on the refugee problem along the India-Myanmar border. Of late, the Mizoram government has been showing signs of feeling the pressure of influx from the civil war-torn Myanmar. In March, the Chief Minister said the FMR was one of the factors responsible for a rise in smuggling activities in the State. A month later, he said some refugees were taking advantage of the crisis in Myanmar to repeatedly cross the border by violating Indian laws. His government has also prodded the Centre to obtain presidential assent for the Mizoram (Maintenance of Household Registers) Bill, that seeks to identify foreigners in the State.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Suvendu Adhikari's call to stay off Kashmir riles own party, NC slams it as ‘terrorism'
File photo: Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari (Picture credit: PTI) SRINAGAR: Bengal BJP leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari's comments advising Bengal's people not to travel to Kashmir have drawn fire in J&K, with his own party repudiating the statement and the governing National Conference (NC) equating it with 'terrorism'. 'Kashmir is the crown of India, an integral part of our motherland. Every Indian holds Kashmir close to his heart,' former J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina said in a video message where she asked Adhikari to visit the Valley and witness firsthand the 'patriotism of Kashmiris'. Adhikari had advised Bengal's people against going to places 'where Muslims are in a majority'. 'If you want to visit Kashmir, visit Jammu.' Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack, Adhikari said tourists were 'selectively killed' and advised people to visit Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand instead. Raina contested Adhikari's version of events. 'After the Pahalgam terror attack, it was local Kashmiris who rescued the wounded and later sheltered tourists to ensure their safety. Thousands of Kashmiris have laid down their lives for the nation's unity and security. Many of our own BJP workers from Kashmir were killed by terrorists. Countless Kashmiri policemen and security personnel have been martyred defending the country. If the Tricolour flies proudly in Kashmir today, it is because of the sacrifices and patriotism of Kashmiris,' Raina said. Adhikari's comments came after a meeting between J&K CM Omar Abdullah and Bengal's Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Thursday. After the talks, Mamata had appealed to the people of her state to travel to Kashmir and support its tourism. She also accepted Omar's invitation to visit the Valley, promising to do so after Durga Puja in Sept. Mamata's TMC has slammed Adhikari's comments, accusing him of indulging in a 'disgraceful, calculated act of communal provocation' and 'pushing the message of terrorists at home'. On Saturday, Omar's NC echoed the condemnation. NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said he did not find 'any difference between him (Suvendu) and terrorists' and pointed out that the statement was contrary to efforts by the Centre and J&K govt to revive tourism. 'Terrorists also wanted that no one should visit Kashmir and this person (Adhikari) is saying the same. If you want to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack, you must visit Kashmir,' Sadiq added.
