The French Navy on Sunday categorically rejected claims circulating in Pakistani media that a French naval commander had endorsed Pakistan’s air superiority over India during the May 2025 confrontation known as Operation Sindoor. In a sharply worded statement, the Navy described the reports as “extensive misinformation,” firmly distancing itself from the assertions made in a Geo TV article. The Pakistani outlet had claimed that Captain Jaquis Launay confirmed Pakistan’s advantage in the aerial engagements and suggested that the downing of Rafale jets had nothing to do with China’s J-10C fighters possessing superior technology.
The French Navy clarified that Captain Launay never gave consent for any interview, comment or publication, and dismissed the statements attributed to him as entirely fabricated. It added that the article was riddled with misinformation and disinformation, prompting immediate correction from the French side. The rebuttal quickly gained traction online, drawing widespread criticism of Pakistani media for amplifying what many commenters described as anti-India propaganda.
BJP leader Amit Malviya highlighted the French Navy’s response as proof of what he called Pakistan’s “desperate misinformation machinery.” He noted that Geo TV and its correspondent Hamid Mir had once again repeated debunked narratives about Rafale jets and the May 2025 conflict, only to be publicly contradicted by an official European defence institution. Several social media users echoed similar sentiments, accusing Pakistani media outlets of having a long history of promoting unfounded, politically motivated claims—particularly those directed at India.
The controversy emerged months after India launched Operation Sindoor, a swift military response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians in May. The operation inflicted significant damage on Pakistani military assets and forced Islamabad to request a ceasefire after sustaining casualties. The French Navy’s dismissal of Pakistan’s latest claim has further fueled debate over the accuracy of conflict-related reporting in the Pakistani press, while strengthening India’s position that such narratives are part of a broader disinformation campaign.
