The True Post (Web News) Reports from around the world regarding the unprecedented aerial clash between Pakistan and India in May 2025 are causing great embarrassment and global attention for India.
After the US, now the commander of the French naval air base, Captain Yves Lone, has also confirmed that Pakistan shot down the Indian Rafale aircraft on the night of May 6-7, and the real reason for this failure was the mistakes of the Indian pilots, and not the technical malfunction of the Rafale.
Captain Yves Lone, the commander of the naval air base in the northwestern region of France, who is an experienced Rafale pilot and has flown numerous combat missions over the past 25 years, told the media that “there was no technical fault in the Rafale, the problem was in the way the pilots used it.” He stressed that the Rafale is capable of countering all types of Chinese warplanes, but its performance depends on the right strategy and effective operational skills — which were clearly not seen in the Indian pilots.
The world’s rarest air battle involving more than 140 warplanes
The May 2025 Pak-India air clash was the focus of attention of armed forces around the world as it was an unusual air battle involving a total of more than 140 warplanes from both countries.
According to Captain Lone, “Due to such a large number of targets, it was relatively easy to target any aircraft, but Pakistan handled the operation exceptionally effectively, while India was performing at its worst.” He praised the Pakistan Air Force’s strategy and said that the Pakistani pilots adopted a highly professional approach and responded to India’s aggressive advances.
During the international session of the Indo-Pacific Conference, the Indian representative termed the French commander’s remarks as “Chinese propaganda”, but Captain Lone completely ignored this objection and stood by his position.
When the French commander was asked why the Indian Rafale’s radar system stopped working during the war, he gave a clear answer:
“The problem was not with the machine, but with the way it was used.” He added that the Indian Air Force could not fully utilize the capabilities of the Rafale, which is why it had to suffer heavy losses. After the loss of six warplanes and the worst war strategy, India started increasing its activities in the diplomatic field, moving away from the military front, to present the situation in its favor at the international level.
Captain Lone revealed that India is now showing interest in buying the naval version of the Rafale, which is capable of landing and taking off on aircraft carriers. He said that these aircraft are also capable of carrying nuclear missiles and currently only the French Navy has this capability in the world.
Global defense analysts are calling this air battle an important milestone for future war strategies. This battle not only tested the performance of modern warplanes, but also the skills of pilots, radar technology, and the practical use of missile systems in a real combat environment.
