The French Navy has delivered a stinging condemnation of a Pakistan-based media outlet for circulating what it terms as "misinformation and disinformation" regarding India's decisive military action, Operation Sindoor. This firm denial comes in response to a fabricated report concerning the capabilities of Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft.
The Source of the False Narrative
The controversy erupted following an article published by Islamabad's Geo TV on November 21. The report made sensational claims, alleging that a French naval commander had confirmed Pakistan's air superiority during border skirmishes. It went so far as to falsely state that Indian Rafale jets were shot down and attempted to link this fabricated outcome to Chinese support. The French Navy was quick to identify and correct multiple grave inaccuracies in the report.
Point-by-Point Rebuttal from the French Navy
In an official statement released on its X account, the Marine Nationale, France's naval force, systematically dismantled the false claims. It clarified that the officer was misidentified as "Jacques Launay" when his real name is Captain Yvan Launay. More importantly, the Navy stated that all remarks attributed to Captain Launay were completely fabricated and that he never consented to any publication.
The Navy provided crucial context about Captain Launay's actual role, clarifying that he commands the naval air station at Landivisiau, where Rafale Marine aircraft are stationed. He is not a senior operational authority involved in the India-Pakistan conflict, as wrongly portrayed. His presentation at the Indo-Pacific conference was purely technical, covering the missions of the Rafale Marine and general challenges in high-intensity air combat.
Setting the Record Straight on Operation Sindoor
Directly addressing the false claims about Operation Sindoor, the French Navy stated that when questioned, Captain Launay neither confirmed nor denied any claims about aircraft losses. He also refused to comment on allegations about Chinese jamming of Indian aircraft. Crucially, the Navy explicitly stated that he never mentioned the Chinese J-10 fighter jet, directly contradicting the core assertion of the Pakistani media report.
India initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7 as a direct response to the devastating Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians. The precision strikes successfully targeted and destroyed multiple terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The nearly 88-hour military conflict concluded on the evening of May 10 after both sides reached an understanding. This operation not only significantly degraded terror networks but also firmly redefined India's red lines on terrorism.
