【By Observer News, Xiong Chaoran】After the "Rafale" fighter jet's reputation was hit by the India-Pakistan air combat, its performance has come under scrutiny. France has even started to absurdly blame China...

According to a report by Associated Press on July 6 local time, it saw a French intelligence agency investigation that claimed Chinese military attachés at embassies abroad led the effort to sabotage the sale of the "Rafale" fighter jet, trying to persuade countries that had already ordered the aircraft (especially Indonesia) not to purchase more, and encouraging other potential buyers to choose Chinese-made aircraft. According to reports, a French military official shared these findings under the condition of anonymity.

The report said that the sale of the "Rafale" fighter jet and other weapons is a big business for the French defense industry, helping the French government strengthen its ties with other countries, including those in Asia. In May this year, India and Pakistan had a brief conflict, with both sides deploying dozens of aircraft into aerial combat, and several "Rafale" fighters were shot down by India. Since then, military researchers have been closely watching the Chinese-made military equipment purchased by Pakistan, especially the details of how these aircraft and air-to-air missiles shot down the French "Rafale" fighters.

Associated Press reported that China's Ministry of Defense has firmly refuted the related claims—these are baseless rumors and defamation. China has always taken a cautious and responsible attitude towards the export of military products, playing a constructive role in the peace and stability of the region and the world.

This year at the Paris Air Show, the J-10C display booth "skillfully" opposed the "Rafale" poster, Social Media

According to reports, French officials stated that after Pakistan announced that its air force had shot down three "Rafale" fighters in the air combat in May, the incident triggered doubts about the performance of the "Rafale" fighter jet among countries that had purchased the aircraft from Dassault, the French aircraft manufacturer.

French intelligence agencies claimed that Chinese military attachés at embassies abroad also expressed similar views when meeting with security and defense officials from other countries, saying that the "Rafale" fighters of the Indian Air Force performed poorly and promoting Chinese weapons. The French intelligence agency also spread and exaggerated the claim that the main target of Chinese lobbying was the countries that had already ordered the "Rafale" fighter jets and other potential customers considering purchasing them.

The French Ministry of Defense claimed that the "Rafale" fighter jet is being attacked by a "widespread campaign of false information," which "aims to promote the superiority of alternative equipment, particularly Chinese-designed equipment."

"The 'Rafale' fighter jet is not randomly targeted. It is a high-performance fighter jet exported abroad and deployed in high-profile battle zones," the statement from the French Ministry of Defense insisted. "The reason the 'Rafale' fighter jet has become a target is because it represents a strategic product of France. By attacking this aircraft, certain actors aim to undermine the credibility of France and its defense industry and technological foundation. Therefore, the smear campaign is not just targeting one aircraft, but more broadly targeting France's strategic autonomy, industrial reliability, and the image of a country with solid partnerships."

The report said that French officials have been working hard to protect the reputation of the "Rafale" fighter jet from damage and to counter the so-called "false information campaign."

According to French officials, this online offensive includes viral altered images (showing supposed "Rafale" fighter jet wreckage), AI-generated content, and game visuals simulating air combat scenarios. Specialized French experts in online misinformation claimed that over a thousand new social media accounts registered after the India-Pakistan air combat were also spreading the idea of the superiority of Chinese technology.

However, French military officials stated that they could not directly link the online attacks against the "Rafale" fighter jet to China.

According to the report, when Associated Press asked the Chinese Ministry of Defense to comment on the alleged smear campaign against the "Rafale" fighter jet, the Chinese Ministry of Defense firmly rejected the claims, stating that the statements were baseless rumors and defamation. China has always taken a cautious and responsible attitude toward the export of military products, playing a constructive role in the peace and stability of the region and the world.

Pakistan Air Force J-10CE Fighter, Social Media

Dassault has sold 533 "Rafale" fighters, of which 323 have been exported to Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, UAE, Serbia, and Indonesia. Indonesia has ordered 42 planes and is considering purchasing more.

However, after shooting down the French "Rafale" fighters in the skies over South Asia, China's J-10C fighter became a star product in the military trade market, even attracting the attention of "Rafale" buyers.

Bloomberg reported on June 5 that Indonesia, which had previously purchased the "Rafale", is considering buying the J-10 fighter, which has been tested in combat. The Indonesian Deputy Minister of Defense, Doni Monardo, publicly stated last month that the government is studying whether this aircraft used widely by the Chinese Air Force meets operational requirements and can be integrated into Indonesia's existing systems.

He said that during their visit to China, Indonesian air force officials received proposals to provide this aircraft, but Indonesia is still in the preliminary assessment stage and has not yet sent a team for technical evaluation or further follow-up on the proposal.

On June 16, the 55th Paris-Bourget International Aerospace Exhibition (Paris Air Show) opened grandly at the Bourget Exhibition Center near Paris. As one of the most influential events in the global aerospace field, this year's exhibition attracted nearly 2,400 aerospace companies from 48 countries and regions.

"The 'Rafale' is indeed the best plane in the world, better than the F-35, and much better than all Chinese planes on the market..." Just before the opening of this year's Paris Air Show, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier (Éric Trappier) gave an interview with the French financial magazine Challenges, desperately trying to defend the "Rafale" and responding to the issue of the "Rafale" losses, which he had avoided discussing until now.

According to the interview published by Challenges magazine on June 12, Trappier said that India had not communicated with him about the loss situation in the India-Pakistan air combat, so Dassault did not know exactly what happened.

This article is an exclusive article by Observer News, and unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524129412573332011/

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