French Navy slams Pakistan media for "misinformation", says Rafale claims fabricated

Paris [France], November 23 : The French Navy has sharply criticised a Pakistan-based media outlet for publishing "misinformation and disinformation" about India's Operation Sindoor on Pakistan-sponsored terrorist sites in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu Kashmir in April this year, which killed 26 civilians.
The clarification came after Islamabad's Geo TV outlet published on its website an article on November 21 claiming that a French naval commander had confirmed Pakistan's air superiority and that Indian Rafale jets were shot down during the border skirmishes
The Navy said the report not only misquoted French officers but even published the wrong name, referring to the officer as "Jacques Launay" instead of his real name, Captain Yvan Launay.
In a statement released on its official X account, the Marine Nationale said all the remarks attributed to Captain Launay were fabricated. "These statements were attributed to Captain Launay, who never gave his consent for any form of publication. The article contains extensive misinformation and disinformation," it said.
https://x.com/MarineNationale/status/1992364584020353535
The disputed article had sensationally claimed that a French commander told an Indo-Pacific conference that the Pakistan Air Force performed "much better" during the May 6-7 confrontation involving over 140 fighter jets. It also alleged that he confirmed that Indian Rafales were shot down and linked the outcome to supposed Chinese support. The French Navy said none of this was true.
According to the Navy, Captain Launay's actual role is limited to commanding the naval air station at Landivisiau, where Rafale Marine aircraft are stationed, contrary to the Pakistani portrayal of him as a senior operational authority involved in the India-Pakistan conflict. His presentation at the conference, France said, was purely technical: he described the missions of the Rafale Marine, the carrier strike group concept, and general challenges pilots face in high-intensity air combat.
France Navy further clarified that when asked about Operation Sindoor, Captain Launay neither confirmed nor denied any claims about losses, and he refused to comment on allegations about Chinese jamming of Indian aircraft. The Navy also added that he never mentioned the Chinese J-10, contradicting what Pakistani media tried to project.
The Pakistani news outlet wrote that "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."
The French Navy rejected this narrative, stating that "he never mentioned the Chinese J-10", another claim circulated by a Pakistani news outlet.