Captain Jacques Launay, who commands the Naval Air Base at Landivisiau, told international delegates that the battle, involving more than 140 fighter jets, became extremely crowded, making it easy for both sides to detect and target aircraft.

He explained that Pakistan managed the situation more effectively than India. He added that the loss of Indian Rafales was not due to any weakness in the jets themselves but because they were not operated properly.

Captain Launay clarified that the Rafale remains fully capable of matching Chinese J-10C fighters, dismissing claims that the aircraft had radar flaws.

The remarks came during a briefing at his base for 55 delegates from 32 countries, arranged by France’s Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defence.

When Indian attendees questioned the comments, the French commander continued his assessment without backing down.

He also shared that India plans to buy nuclear-capable naval Rafales for carrier operations. Indian pilots are expected to receive training at his base, which currently houses more than 40 Rafales equipped with nuclear missiles.

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The commander praised both India and Pakistan for avoiding a wider war. He said the May 2025 clash offered one of the rare real-world chances for global militaries to study air combat, pilot performance, and missile use.

The event also showed an imbalance in representation, as India sent several delegates while Pakistan was represented by only one senior journalist.