French pilot who claimed India lost Rafales against Pakistan during Op Sindoor caught spying for China

French military commentator and former French Navy pilot Pierre-Henri Chuet is under investigation in France over allegations that he passed sensitive military information to China, as per a TOI report. Chuet is the same former pilot who had previously claimed that India lost Rafale fighter jets during Operation Sindoor to Pakistan's Chinese-made fighter aircraft, allegations that were rejected by Indian defence officials.

French authorities launch preliminary inquiry

Chuet, a 36-year-old French-Canadian national, was detained by France's domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI.

French prosecutors confirmed that a preliminary inquiry was launched after receiving a report from the Ministry of the Armed Forces on February 19.


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Training visits to China under scrutiny

According to French newspapers Le Parisien and Mediapart, Chuet travelled to China in September 2018 and August 2019 to conduct training sessions for Chinese military pilots while he was still serving in the French Navy.

A source familiar with the matter told the French media that Chuet allegedly did not inform his superiors about the trips, despite French defence regulations requiring such disclosure. Investigators are examining allegations that he shared sensitive military information with Chinese authorities during those visits.

Previous claims on Operation Sindoor

Chuet came under public scrutiny during Operation Sindoor, the four-day India-Pakistan military conflict in May 2025, when India carried out air, missile and drone strikes targeting Pakistani airbases, radar installations and terrorist infrastructure.

During the conflict, Chuet published a series of videos analysing the aerial engagements. In a video released on May 10, 2025, he claimed that a Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighter jet had shot down an Indian Air Force Rafale using a PL-15 beyond-visual-range missile, despite there being no official confirmation of the claim.

In subsequent videos, Chuet praised the performance of Pakistan's Chinese-made J-10C and JF-17 fighter jets. He described the aircraft and the PL-15 missile as "Rafale killer" and argued that the conflict demonstrated the effectiveness of Chinese air combat technology.

His claims were strongly denied by Indian defence officials and Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer that supplied 36 Rafale fighter jets to India under an intergovernmental agreement signed in September 2016. India also signed another intergovernmental agreement with France on April 28, 2025, worth Rs 63,000 crore (USD 7.4 billion), to procure 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets for the Indian Navy.

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Chuet denies allegations

Chuet has denied any wrongdoing.

Speaking to Le Canard Enchaîné, he said, "I simply hosted two three-day seminars." Referring to his second visit, he added, "My 2019 trip did not go very well, and I have never set foot in China since."