May 08, 2025, 10:00 (UTC +3)
CNN has reported that a high-ranking French intelligence official confirmed Pakistan downed one Indian Rafale fighter jet, marking what would be the first combat loss of the French-built aircraft. This article has been updated to reflect that information.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated sharply following a deadly terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam, which is located in Indian-administered Kashmir. This attack resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians.
In response, India initiated “Operation Sindoor” on the night between May 6 and 7, 2025, launching a series of missile strikes targeting alleged militant infrastructure in both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The Pakistani military claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets during these operations, including three Rafale aircraft.
This article examines the evidence surrounding Pakistan’s claims and explores the broader implications of this high-stakes aerial confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
What Pakistan claims
On May 6, 2025, Pakistan claimed that its air force shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, a Sukhoi Su-30, and a MiG-29, during India’s missile strikes targeting alleged militant infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This assertion was made by Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
Adding to the uncertainty, a Reuters report cited four local government sources who confirmed that three Indian fighter jets crashed in Jammu and Kashmir on the day of the alleged intercepts.
The cause of the crashes remains unclear, whether due to hostile fire, technical failure, or other factors. It is also unknown if the fighters, if indeed shot down, were destroyed in air-to-air combat or by ground-based defenses.
Assessing the visual evidence
The most striking visual material to emerge so far shows what appears to be debris in a field of a vertical stabilizer bearing the markings “Rafale BS001,” a designation corresponding to the first Rafale delivered to India. If verified, this would constitute the most direct physical evidence linking the incident to a Rafale loss. However, the imagery has not been independently authenticated, and the location, date, and context of the image remain unclear.
PAF found guilty of downing French Rafale stocks. Proof can be seen. BS001 tail number this was the first Rafale delivered to India. pic.twitter.com/2cPR4rukNp
— Hafsa H Malik (@kashmiricanibal) May 7, 2025
Footage of a jet engine lying in a similar field also circulates, with nozzles that appear consistent with the Safran M88 engine, the powerplant used exclusively by the Rafale fighter. Still, as with the vertical stabilizer, the authenticity and context of the footage have not been independently confirmed.
Usually I don’t wade into this, but this additional angle of the mystery engine does look like it has a distinctive pattern of screws on nozzles (pic 1), consistent with M88 which powers Rafale (pic 2), rather than M53 which powers Mirage 2000 (pic 3)
Hmm https://t.co/ztrqv7usZc pic.twitter.com/zYLnCpNNQz
— Rick Joe (@RickJoe_PLA) May 7, 2025
Other visuals have circulated as well. A video showing a MICA air-to-air missile still attached to its rail beside burning wreckage has been widely shared.
Indian airforce Rafale downing confirmed.
Wreckage of French MICA air to air missile still stuck to its missile launcher, 20 km from Bathinda airforce station, video taped by locals.
The tip of the indian spear, broken.#PakistanZindabad pic.twitter.com/PGACyDV3qX
— Asfandyar Bhittani🇵🇰 (@AsfandBhittani) May 7, 2025
While the MICA missile is a standard armament for the Rafale, it is also used by the Mirage 2000, another type operated by the Indian Air Force. As such, the presence of a MICA missile alone does not confirm the downing of a Rafale.
In addition, photos of what appears to be a Mirage 2000 RPL-522 external fuel tank have circulated widely. However, these tanks are designed to be jettisoned mid-flight, particularly to enhance maneuverability during air combat. As a result, their recovery cannot be considered definitive proof of an aircraft loss.
First official images have surfaced showing the wreckage of the Indian jet downed in Srinagar, Kashmir. Notably, French markings are visible on the aircraft, possibly identifying it as a Mirage 2000 or Rafale. pic.twitter.com/vu5FcqQn6P
— International Defence Analysis (@Defence_IDA) May 7, 2025
International position
France, the manufacturer of the Rafale, supplied the jets to India under a closely watched defense agreement.
CNN reported on April 8, 2025, that a high-ranking French intelligence official has privately confirmed that Pakistan downed one Indian Rafale fighter jet, marking what would be the first confirmed combat loss of the French-built aircraft.
The French government has not officially commented. When questioned on the subject on May 7, 2025, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot did not confirm the Pakistani claim.
“We are very concerned about the situation,” Barrot said. “These are two major military powers. That is why we are calling for restraint.”
The Rafale: Symbol and target
Both India and Pakistan have significantly modernized their air forces in recent years. India operates 36 Rafale jets equipped with long-range SCALP cruise missiles (up to 400 km), allowing deep strikes without crossing enemy borders. It has also signed a deal to acquire 26 Rafale Marine variants for its Navy. Meanwhile, Pakistan has bolstered its fleet with Chinese J-10CE fighters, replacing its aging Mirage III/5 aircraft.
The Indian Air Force currently operates two squadrons equipped with the Dassault Rafale multirole fighter jets. No. 17 Squadron, known as the “Golden Arrows,” is based at Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana under Western Air Command. This was the first unit to receive the Rafale, with the initial batch arriving in July 2020 and formal induction taking place in September of the same year. Strategically located near the Pakistan border, the squadron is primarily tasked with operations on the western front.
The second Rafale-equipped unit, No. 101 Squadron “Falcons,” operates under Eastern Air Command and is based at Hasimara Air Force Station in West Bengal. Reactivated in 2021, this squadron plays a critical role in strengthening India’s preparedness along the eastern front, particularly in light of tensions with China.
As India’s most advanced fighter to date, the Rafale has become both a cornerstone of its air deterrence and a prominent symbol of military strength. The Rafale has also become a key target in the ongoing information war between the two countries. Prior to the recent escalation, pro-Pakistani accounts have regularly published on social media claims, memes, and doctored images alleging its destruction.
Claims remain unverified
Despite Pakistan’s high-profile claim, no independently verified evidence has emerged to support the downing of five Indian fighter jets, let alone three Rafale fighters. While not unusual in such conflicts, India’s silence on the matter adds to the opacity. For now, the available physical evidence, missile debris, and fuel tanks, is insufficient to confirm Rafale losses.
This article will be updated if further verifiable evidence emerges regarding the reported losses.
