French Navy slams Pakistan media over misinformation on Op Sindoor
Pakistan on Sunday faced major embarrassment after the French Navy refuted claims made by Pakistani media that a French commander had confirmed Pakistan’s air superiority over India during the May 2025 conflict and the loss of Rafale jets. The Navy called the reports “extensive misinformation” and “fake news.”
The strong rebuttal as Pakistan’s Geo TV had published an article claiming that French commander Captain Jaquis Launay had confirmed Pakistan’s dominance in the aerial engagement during Operation Sindoor. It also claimed that the Pakistan Air Force was “better prepared” and that the Rafale fighter was downed not because of the technological superiority of the Chinese J-10C fighters. Refuting the claim, the French Navy termed it “fake news,” saying.
“These statements were attributed to Captain Launay who never gave his consent for any form of publication. The article contains extensive misinformation and disinformation”. What may come across as poor editing and journalistic oversight, the Navy pointed out that it carried the wrong name of the commander: “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 said.
“When asked the question about operation SINDOOR, he neither confirmed nor denied that Indian aircrafts had been shot down. He refused to comment on possible jamming of the Indian Rafale by Chinese systems,” the Navy clarified. The Navy also clarified that he never referenced the Chinese J-10, contradicting the claims made by Pakistani media. The French reaction drew sharp criticism online, with many condemning what they described as anti-India propaganda in the Pakistani media.
BJP leader Amit Malviya highlighted the incident as evidence of Pakistan’s “desperate misinformation machinery”. “The French Navy has called out Pakistan’s Geo TV and its correspondent Hamid Mir for spreading “misinformation and disinformation.” In his report, Hamid Mir peddled the same old, fabricated claims about Rafales and the so-called May conflict and has now been publicly exposed. When official institutions start debunking their propaganda, you know how desperate Pakistan’s misinformation machinery has become,” he wrote.
Several others also criticised the Pakistani media along similar lines, alleging that it has a history of spreading misinformation and making unfounded claims against India. In May, India launched a swift military operation against Pakistan, Operation Sindoor, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 innocent lives. The military action operation dealt a significant blow to the Pakistani army and resulted in casualties, before both sides agreed to a ceasefire at Islamabad’s request. Between the launch of the operation and the ceasefire on May 10 evening, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, killing at least 100 terrorists, and the IAF struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations.
Earlier in October, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said Pakistan lost as many as 12 to 13 aircraft, including fighter jets such as US-made F-16s and Chinese-origin JF-17s, to the IAF’s precision strikes on ground and in the air during Operation Sindoor.
