Latest news with #ÉricTrappier
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Business Standard
15-06-2025
- 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.
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Business Standard
15-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Pak claim of downing 3 Rafales during Op Sindoor incorrect: Dassault CEO
Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier says Rafale is better than the American F-35 stealth jet and far superior to all Chinese aircraft in the market when it comes to being an omnirole aircraft Delhi Listen to This Article 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.'
India.com
15-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Pakistan Lying About Shooting Down Rafales During Operation Sindoor: Dassault CEO
New Delhi: Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier has strongly rejected Pakistan's claims that it shot down three Indian Rafale fighter jets during the recent military clash under Operation Sindoor. Speaking to French magazine Challenges just before the Paris Air Show, Trappier said, 'The reports of Indian Rafales being lost are inaccurate.' He expressed strong confidence in the Rafale's capabilities, highlighting its operational excellence and survivability in combat situations. Trappier also stated that while the Rafale might face challenges against the US F-22 due to its stealth and air superiority, it is superior to the F-35 in versatility and better than any Chinese fighter jet currently available. Pakistan's Changing Statements and Lack of Evidence Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made contradicting statements about the number of Indian Rafales shot down. While Pakistani Air Force officials initially claimed three Rafales were destroyed, the Prime Minister later said in Azerbaijan that four Rafales had been shot down. In some speeches, he even claimed as many as six Indian aircraft were downed, but these numbers have not been consistent. Despite these claims, Pakistan has not provided any concrete evidence to support the claims that Indian jets, including Rafales, were shot down. Fact-checking by independent analysts and the Indian government has found no credible proof, such as wreckage or verified imagery, to verify Pakistan's statements. However, the images and videos circulated online were later debunked as old, unrelated, or manipulated content. Indian Response India has officially denied Pakistan's claims of shooting down multiple jets. In an interview with Bloomberg, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan categorically said that India was able to understand the tactical mistake it made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days flying all its jets again, carrying out long-range strikes. Reports on Pakistani Losses Some Indian publications have reported that Pakistan lost several of its own aircraft during the conflict, citing official sources. However, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian government about these claims. What is confirmed, though, is the loss of at least one Pakistani Saab 2000 Erieye Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. Retired Pakistani Air Marshal Masood Akhtar admitted in an interview that this high-value surveillance plane was destroyed during India's Operation Sindoor on the night of May 9–10 in Bholari. Background: Operation Sindoor India launched Operation Sindoor in response to a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists on April 22. On May 7, Indian forces targeted nine terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir using precision airstrikes. The operation aimed to send a strong message against cross-border terrorism while avoiding escalation by steering clear of Pakistani military installations.
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First Post
14-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Dassault CEO says Pakistan's Rafale takedown claim during Operation Sindoor ‘inaccurate'
Dassault CEO Éric Trappier has dismissed Pakistan's claim of downing Indian Rafale jets during Operation Sindoor as inaccurate. He defended Rafale's combat performance, calling it superior to the F-35 in versatility and unmatched in real-world mission readiness. read more Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier has dismissed as 'inaccurate' Pakistan's claims that it shot down three Indian Rafale fighter jets during the recent military flare-up under Operation Sindoor. His statement comes just days before the Paris Air Show and amid heightened global scrutiny of modern fighter jet performance in real-world combat. Speaking to French magazine Challenges, Trappier addressed the Pakistani statement head-on, saying: 'The reports of Indian Rafales being lost are not accurate.' He asserted confidence in the Rafale's capabilities, underlining its operational excellence and battlefield survivability. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trappier, while refraining from directly commenting on the operational specifics of the India-Pakistan skirmish, reaffirmed the Rafale's status as a world-class fighter aircraft. 'It's always difficult to say we're the best in absolute terms, but I believe we offer the best compromise,' he said. '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 that in a confrontation with a US F-22, the Rafale might face challenges due to the F-22's stealth and air-superiority edge. 'But if you're looking at versatility and real-world mission readiness, Rafale is superior to the F-35 and far better than anything China currently offers,' Trappier added. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif had earlier told Bloomberg Television that Pakistani forces had downed five Indian aircraft—including three Rafales—and captured several Indian soldiers following India's retaliatory airstrikes in late April. The strikes were part of Operation Sindoor, launched by New Delhi in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. 'They have taken the initiative, we have just responded," Asif said, adding that Pakistan's actions were purely retaliatory. However, he did not provide concrete evidence to support the claim of downing the Indian jets or capturing Indian troops. The brief but intense military exchange that followed the Pahalgam attack was one of the most severe between India and Pakistan in recent decades. It culminated in a ceasefire understanding after Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) reached out to his Indian counterpart. India's air campaign reportedly struck multiple Pakistani airbases in a significant escalation between the two countries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Indian defence sources have said that while there were some Indian losses, the IAF inflicted substantial damage on Pakistan's air assets. The IAF reportedly destroyed six Pakistani fighter jets, two surveillance aircraft, a C-130 transport plane, over 30 missiles and multiple drones during the four-day conflict. Rafale fighter jets, manufactured by France's Dassault Aviation, have become a cornerstone of India's air power since their induction in 2020.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tata Set to Make Dassault Rafale Fuselages in India
Live Events Adding to its growing aerospace manufacturing capability, Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) has signed agreements with France's Dassault Aviation to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage in will set up a dedicated manufacturing facility in Hyderabad to make the four main parts of the fuselage for Indian requirements as well as Dassault's global orders. The facility is expected to deliver the first units by FY28 and will have a capacity to produce 24 fuselages company did not officially share the order details, but people aware of developments told ET that as per current plans, at least 100 fuselages will be manufactured in Hyderabad for global orders and the number could cross 200 if India places more orders for the Rafale fighter jet India bought 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air has placed an order for 26 Rafale Marines for the Indian Navy. The Air Force is also looking to procure 114 multi-role fighter aircraft to boost its falling squadron strength, with the Rafale considered the leading the Tata agreement, Dassault has vastly expanded the Rafale manufacturing ecosystem in India. The people cited said current projects — including setting up of an engine production plant at Hyderabad and a maintenance, repairs and overhaul hub at Jewar —could bring 60% of Rafale manufacturing by value into parts of the Rafale are already made in India, including the canopy, engine bay doors and radars in Nagpur, fuel tanks and pylons in Bengaluru and sub-assemblies and components across the country.'For the first time, Rafale fuselages will be produced outside France. This is a decisive step in strengthening our supply chain in India," said Éric Trappier, chairman and chief executive of Dassault has already offered India technology transfer and full domestic production of the fighter jets if an order for around 100 aircraft is placed by the country's forces. Dassault has its order book full for the next several years and was looking to set up an additional production line in India to cater to global orders and domestic requirements.
