PARIS: A French naval commander has confirmed that Indian Rafale fighter jets were shot down during May 2025 air combat with Pakistan, attributing the outcome not to the technological superiority of Chinese J-10C fighters but to Pakistan’s better handling of the battle situation.
Captain Jacques Launay, commander of the Naval Air Base at Landivisiau, told delegates at an international Indo-Pacific conference that the Pakistan Air Force was “much better prepared” when more than 140 fighter jets faced each other in the air during the night of May 6-7, 2025.
“It was a very complicated situation in which more than 140 fighter jets were involved. It was very easy to hit an aircraft because a large number of targets were available to both sides. Pakistan handled that complicated situation better than its adversary,” Captain Launay said during a briefing at his base.
The commander made these revelations while speaking to 55 delegates from 32 countries at the Indo-Pacific conference organised by the Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defence (IHEDN) in collaboration with the Directorate of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Addressing why Rafale’s radar system failed to perform properly during combat, Captain Launay said the issue was operational rather than technical. “There was nothing wrong with the war machine, but the machine was not used properly,” he explained, adding that “Rafale can compete and defeat the Chinese J-10C in any combat situation.”
When an Indian delegate interrupted, claiming the reports were “Chinese disinformation” and no Rafale was shot down, Captain Launay ignored the remarks and continued his analysis.
Captain Launay disclosed that India was now interested in purchasing the naval version of Rafales capable of landing on aircraft carriers. Crucially, these naval Rafales can carry nuclear missiles.
Captain Launay has been flying Rafales for 25 years and supervises operations at a base with more than 40 nuclear-armed Rafales, 94 naval warships, 10 nuclear submarines, and 190 aircraft.
Armed forces worldwide have conducted studies about the India-Pakistan air combat to gain insights for future conflicts, viewing it as a rare opportunity to examine the performance of pilots, fighter jets, and air-to-air missiles in active combat.
