Rafale fighter jet Under Fire: Surfaced alleging the downing of multiple Indian Rafale fighter jets by Pakistan, France has officially acknowledged ongoing efforts to ascertain the truth. The French Ministry of Armed Forces has confirmed it is in close contact with New Delhi, attempting to verify conflicting claims about the fate of India’s premier multirole fighters in one of the most intense air battles in South Asia’s recent history.
The spokesperson for the French Ministry said, “Regarding the conflict taking place between India and Pakistan, what I mainly observe is that we are in the fog of war and that there is an intense information war. What we know most of all today is that we don’t know what happened.”
The conflict, still shrouded in conflicting narratives, has ignited debate in global defense circles. At the core of this debate is whether three of India’s Rafale jets—acquired at great political and financial cost—were shot down by Pakistani J-10C fighters.
France’s concern is more than diplomatic. Dassault Aviation, manufacturer of the Rafale, has a vested interest in the fighter’s combat reputation. The aircraft, considered a cornerstone of India’s air supremacy, has never been shot down in combat until now, if the reports prove accurate.
“The issue of the Rafale is, of course, of primary importance to us,” the French spokesperson added. “We are naturally keen to understand what happened, and so we are trying to stay as close as possible to our Indian partner to better understand the situation.”
For Dassault, the potential loss of Rafales under combat conditions raises serious questions about the platform’s survivability in contested airspace, especially when pitted against modern Chinese air combat systems like the J-10C.
According to regional defense analysts and multiple international sources, the aerial engagement between Indian and Pakistani forces included dozens, possibly hundreds, of aircraft. The confrontation was triggered by yet another escalation in the Kashmir region, where territorial disputes have long fanned the flames of hostility.
Reports suggest the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) deployed its J-10C fighters, armed with PL-15E long-range air-to-air missiles, to intercept Indian Air Force (IAF) jets conducting strikes against targets inside Pakistani territory. The J-10C, developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, is equipped with modern AESA radar and advanced electronic warfare capabilities.
Among the six Indian aircraft reportedly shot down were three Rafales, one Su-30MKI, one MiG-29, and one Mirage 2000. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar claimed responsibility for all five downings, asserting that PL-15E missiles fired from the J-10Cs proved decisive.
“The much-hyped Rafale has failed miserably, and Indian pilots have proven to be inadequately trained,” said Dar, in a statement that has sent tremors through the global defense community.
India has refrained from issuing a formal confirmation of the Rafale losses. However, a wartime press briefing by Air Marshal A.K. Bharti added fuel to the fire. “We are in a war scenario—losses are part of combat,” Bharti said, carefully avoiding a direct answer about the Rafales. The non-denial has been widely interpreted as an implicit acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, CNN’s senior correspondent Jim Sciutto posted that a senior French intelligence source confirmed the loss of at least one Rafale and noted that France is investigating whether more may have been lost.
U.S. intelligence assessments, also cited by CNN, reportedly support the claim that at least one Indian fighter jet was shot down, although the specific platform and weapon system involved remain undisclosed.
The market reaction to these reports has been swift. Shares of Dassault Aviation have dropped nearly 10% in under a week, a reflection of investor jitters about the platform’s performance under real combat conditions. Conversely, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group’s shares have soared by over 60% on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
This dynamic shift has geopolitical implications, especially for nations considering major arms deals. The J-10C’s perceived success has amplified interest in Chinese fighter jets among countries wary of Western platforms that now appear vulnerable.
Indonesia, which signed an $8.1 billion deal in 2022 for 42 Rafales, is now reassessing its decision. A senior defense official in Jakarta stated that the Indian incident serves as a “legitimate and well-founded basis for assessment” regarding the Rafale’s battlefield viability.
However, not all voices in Indonesia are ready to abandon the French fighter. DPR Commission I member Dave Laksono warned against forming conclusions based on unverified reports. “Even the most advanced fighters have been downed. Rafale’s performance should not be judged by a single unverified incident,” he said.
Still, he admitted that if the losses are confirmed, they would present a “constructive and valid” reason for a fresh evaluation of the platform.
India’s original 2016 deal with Dassault for 36 Rafales was valued at $8.8 billion. When training, weapons packages, and support services are included, the per-unit cost soars to approximately $218 million. Adjusted for inflation, that figure in 2025 stands at an estimated $289 million per aircraft—making them some of the most expensive non-stealth fighters in the world.
Adding to the stakes, India signed another $7.4 billion deal on April 28, 2025, for 26 Rafale Marine fighters. These aircraft are expected to serve on the INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier. The contract marks the first-ever export of the Rafale’s naval variant.
The alleged downing of Rafales by Pakistani J-10Cs represents more than a tactical loss. It signals a shift in the regional airpower balance. The Chinese-designed fighters, armed with some of the world’s most advanced missiles, have demonstrated their capability in live combat against a high-profile Western platform.
This confrontation serves as a wake-up call for air forces worldwide. The days of relying solely on reputation and peacetime exercises to gauge aircraft effectiveness are over. Modern air combat now demands survivability against sophisticated sensors, missiles, and tactics.
The information war surrounding this conflict has only deepened the ambiguity. Yet, regardless of the final body count, the battle has already begun to reshape procurement strategies, alliance politics, and technological development in the global arms race.
As France scrambles to gather facts and salvage the Rafale’s image, and as India faces tough questions about its strategic investments, one thing is clear: the skies over South Asia are no longer uncontested. The age of unquestioned air dominance by any single platform may be ending.
