French Navy Exposes Pakistan's Fake News About Indian Rafale Jets During Operation Sindoor

Pakistan's propaganda has been exposed once again. In its desperate attempt to create a perception that its military capabilities surpass India's, Pakistani media resorted to disseminating fake news, claiming superiority during the May conflict. However, the French Navy promptly debunked these claims, causing embarrassment for Islamabad's power establishment.

The controversy centers around an article published by Pakistan's Geo TV that falsely attributed statements to a French naval commander, suggesting that Indian Rafale fighter jets were defeated during Operation Sindoor.

The misleading article claimed that Captain 'Jacques' Launay, commander of the Naval Air Base at Landivisiau, had praised Pakistan's conflict management and credited them with this supposed achievement. Filled with fabrications, the report alleged these remarks were made at an international Indo-Pacific conference.

These claims were quickly revealed as factually baseless. The Marine Nationale, the French military's naval branch, swiftly refuted the story.

The French Navy shared a screenshot of the article, explicitly labeling it "FAKENEWS," and clarified that "These statements were attributed to Captain Launay who never gave his consent for any form of publication. The article contains extensive misinformation and disinformation."

The French Navy further clarified that when asked about Operation Sindoor, the commander neither confirmed nor denied any claims about Indian aircraft being shot down. He also "refused to comment on possible jamming of the Indian Rafale by Chinese systems."

Highlighting the poor journalistic standards, the Navy pointed out that even the commander's name was incorrect: "First name is Yvan, not Jacquis."

"Contrary to what has been established in the article, his responsibilities are limited to commanding the organic naval air station where the French Rafale Marine aircraft are stationed," the French Navy statement added.

Unable to match Indian forces in actual combat, Pakistan has been attempting to enhance its perception through media manipulation. This pattern was evident during Operation Sindoor when Islamabad rapidly disseminated false claims about downing Rafales to international media outlets.

Operation Sindoor was a major military offensive by India during which over a hundred terrorists were neutralized across the border and Line of Control in May, in retaliation for the terrorist attack that killed innocent tourists in Pahalgam weeks earlier.

Indian military authorities confirmed the operation's success, stating that Pakistani commanders had pleaded to stop hostilities after suffering unexpected casualties and damage.

According to the Indian air chief, Indian forces successfully shot down six Pakistani aircraft during the aerial engagement.