Latest news with #Trappier
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Business Standard
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Pak claim of downing Rafales during Op Sindoor incorrect: Dassault CEO
Pakistan's claims of downing three Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale combat aircraft in an aerial engagement during the May 7 strike on terror targets inside Pakistan under Operation Sindoor are incorrect, Éric Trappier, chief executive officer (CEO) of France's Dassault Aviation, the original equipment manufacturer of Rafale, has said. Acknowledging that he was not exactly aware about the alleged combat losses during Operation Sindoor — given that New Delhi has not communicated anything on the matter — Trappier said in a French-language interview: 'What we do know is that the claims made by the Pakistanis (three Rafales destroyed) are incorrect.' He added: 'We will see whether there were losses or not, and whether the war aims were achieved. When the truth comes out, some may well be surprised.' Speaking last week to French magazine Challenges, ahead of the Paris Air Show, the Dassault Aviation CEO also asserted that combat aircraft are used to carry out a military mission, where success is defined by achieving objectives, not by having zero losses. 'During World War-II, no one claimed the Allies lost the war because they suffered troop losses.' Trappier was responding to a question on whether the alleged loss of at least one Rafale during the aerial clash with Pakistan in early May indicated that the French-designed jet had reached its limits. To a question on whether the Rafale remained among the best combat aircraft in the world, 20 years after entering service, Trappier said while it was complicated to claim any one aircraft was the best in absolute terms, he sincerely believed the Rafale was the best when it came to a single platform capable of conducting air-to-air missions, reconnaissance, air-to-ground strikes, nuclear missions, and carrier operations. In that context, he added that it was better than the American Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth jet and far superior to all Chinese aircraft in the market. However, he did acknowledge: 'It's obvious that in a one-on-one aerial engagement with an F-22 (US Air Force stealth air superiority fighter), it's going to be tough for the Rafale.' The Dassault Aviation CEO stressed that the Rafale 'perfectly meets' the needs of both the French armed forces and the countries that purchased it. On the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore last month, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan had said India 'rectified' its tactics after the May 7 losses and gained an advantage over Pakistan during the four-day conflict. These were the CDS' first remarks to international media since India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attacks, which New Delhi said had cross-border linkages. Responding to questions about the loss of Indian jets, the CDS told an international news agency that while losses had occurred, India had carried out strikes inside Pakistan with 'pinpoint accuracy, some even to a metre, to whatever was our selected mean point of impact'. General Chauhan added that India had achieved its objectives. In an interview with another news agency, General Chauhan said that Pakistan's claim of shooting down six Indian fighter jets was 'absolutely incorrect', but did not elaborate on India's losses. The CDS said that Indian forces rectified their tactics and returned on May 7, 8, and 10 in large numbers to strike air bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrating all its air defences with impunity and carrying out precision strikes. He added that the IAF 'flew all types of aircraft with all types of ordnance on the (May) 10th'. In a briefing a day after the May 10 pause in Operation Sindoor, under an understanding reached between the militaries of India and Pakistan, Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal A K Bharti had said that all IAF pilots who took part in the operation were back home. He did not deny losses but underscored that the aim of the operation had been achieved. Responding to a media query on the possible loss of IAF aircraft during the operation and subsequent military exchanges with Pakistan, Air Marshal Bharti said: 'We are in a combat scenario, and losses are a part of combat. The question you must ask us is, have we achieved our objective of decimating the terrorist camps? And the answer is a thumping yes. And the results are for the whole world to see.' He added: 'As for the details of how many numbers or which platform we lost, at this point in time, I would not like to comment on that because we are still in a combat situation. If I comment on anything, it will only be an advantage for the adversary.' Earlier this month, it was announced that, in a first, the fuselage of the Rafale combat aircraft would be manufactured in India — for both domestic and global markets — after Dassault Aviation and Indian private sector aerospace and defence major Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) announced a tieup to manufacture key structural sections of the Rafale at a production facility TASL would set up in Hyderabad, Telangana. In April, in the country's largest ever fighter jet acquisition, India signed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) worth around ₹64,000 crore with France to procure 26 Rafale-Marine combat aircraft to bolster the Indian Navy's firepower. The IAF earlier acquired 36 Rafale jets under a ₹60,000 crore IGA with France signed in September 2016.
NDTV
7 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Simply Not True": Dassault CEO Shoots Down Pak Claim On Indian Rafales
New Delhi: Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier has dismissed as "factually incorrect" Pakistan's claims about having shot down three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Operation Sindoor. In an interview to French magazine Challenges, Mr Trappier said: "What Pakistan is claiming about downing three Rafales is simply not true." He made it clear that Dassault, the French company that manufactures the Rafale, has received no official communication from the IAF indicating any such losses. "What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying about destroying three Rafale planes is inaccurate," Mr Trappier said. "When the complete details are known, the reality may surprise many," he added. In the interview just ahead of the Paris Air Show, Mr Trappier highlighted the formidable reputation of the Rafale as a premier multirole fighter jet. "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. While acknowledging the stealth advantage of the American F-22, he maintained that the Rafale is superior to the F-35 in real-world versatility and performance. "It's far better than anything China currently offers," he said. India has already denied that any of its fighter jets were destroyed during Operation Sindoor, which had successfully demolished terror infrastructure with precision bombing deep inside Pakistan territory. This was followed by missile attacks that caused considerable damage to key bases of the Pakistani Air Force. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had earlier claimed Pakistani forces downed five Indian aircraft, including three Rafales, and captured Indian soldiers during a retaliatory attack following India's airstrikes during Operation Sindoor. However, it has not released any evidence to support these claims. Defence analysts have dismissed the Pakistani narrative as sheer propaganda, which is in tune with the country's playbook, as has been the experience in the past. India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 tourists were massacred.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Absolutely incorrect': Rafale maker on Pakistan's claim on Indian Rafale; says mission success is key
Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier has firmly rejected Pakistan's claim that it shot down multiple Rafale fighter jets during the recent military conflict with India, describing Islamabad's version of events as 'inaccurate.' His comments mark the first response from the French manufacturer after weeks of speculation following the brief but intense air conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in early May. 'The Indians haven't communicated, so we don't know exactly what happened. What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying [three Rafales destroyed] is inaccurate,' Trappier said in an interview with Challenges , a French magazine. 'On the other hand, when you operate combat aircraft, you are carrying out a mission. The success of the mission is not having zero losses; it's having achieved its objectives. During the Second World War, it wasn't said that the Allies had lost the war because they had lost troops… We'll see if there were losses or not, and if the war aims were achieved. When the truth comes out, some people may be surprised.' Trappier's remarks come weeks after Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan had publicly dismissed Pakistan's assertions of having downed six Indian warplanes during Operation Sindoor. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Also read: 'India lost jets but changed tactics to hit Pakistan hard,' says CDS Anil Chauhan 'The information is absolutely incorrect,' General Chauhan told Bloomberg TV during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. 'What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being downed.' Indian Military Confirms Fighter Jet Loses In Pak Conflict; CDS Anil Chauhan's Big Confirmation He stressed that India had recognised and corrected tactical errors swiftly. 'The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range.' Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was a coordinated military response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April. General Chauhan said India successfully struck deep into Pakistani territory with 'precision of a meter' and exposed the ineffectiveness of Pakistan's imported weaponry. He also downplayed claims of nuclear brinkmanship, calling it 'far-fetched' and adding that communication channels remained open throughout.
New Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Simply not true': Dassault CEO rubbishes Pakistan's claim of downing Rafales
Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, has categorically dismissed Pakistan's claims of shooting down three Indian Rafale jets during Operation Sindoor. In an interview with Challenges, a French magazine, Trappier affirmed that Dassault has received no official communication from the Indian Air Force (IAF) indicating any Rafale losses, firmly branding the Pakistani narrative as false. 'The reports of Indian Rafales being lost are not accurate,' 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,' Trappier told the magazine. He further added, 'What Pakistan is claiming about downing three Rafales is simply not true.' He stressed that the outcome of modern air operations must be judged by mission objectives, not disinformation. 'When you operate combat aircraft, the goal isn't simply to avoid losses, it's to accomplish the mission,' he said, underlining that success in modern warfare is measured by strategic outcomes, not casualty counts. Drawing a historical parallel, he remarked, 'No one said the Allies lost World War II because they suffered troop losses.' 'We'll see whether there were any losses and whether the mission objectives were met. When the full truth emerges, some may be in for a surprise,' he added.
Mint
12 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Dassault CEO refutes Pakistan's claim of shooting down IAF's 3 Rafale jets, calls them ‘inaccurate'
India-Pakistan Conflict: Refuting Pakistan's claim that three Rafale jets were shot down during the May 7–10 conflict between India and its neighbour, Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier labelled Islamabad's claims as 'inaccurate'. The French aerospace major is the manufacturer of Rafale jets, the Indian Air Force's most advanced fighter plane. '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,' Trappier told French magazine Challenges. Emphasising that the success of a military mission cannot be judged solely by the absence of losses, the Dassault CEO said: '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.' Pakistan had earlier claimed to have shot down six Indian jets between May 7 and 10 conflict. The conflict started after India launched attacks on terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor in response to Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. Trappier further said: 'We'll see if there were losses, and if the war aims were achieved. When the truth comes out, some people may be surprised.' Dassault and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) will jointly manufacture fuselage for Rafale combat jets in India from 2028 that will mark production of the critical component for the first time outside France. Under the partnership, TASL will set up a cutting-edge facility in Hyderabad to produce key fuselage sections for Rafale aircraft -- a venture that is being seen as a significant forward movement for India's aerospace sector. "Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited have signed four production transfer agreements to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage in India, marking a significant step forward in strengthening the country's aerospace manufacturing capabilities and supporting global supply chains," the TASL said in a statement last week. The Dassault-Tata partnership came as the French company has emerged as a key contender for India's mega fighter programme under which it is acquiring 114 new jets for the Indian Air Force. Over a month ago, India and France signed an intergovernmental agreement sealing a mega deal to procure 26 Rafale marine jets at a cost of ₹ 64,000 crore.
