French ex-Navy pilot behind Pakistan’s Rafale claims under scanner for espionage for China: How Rahul Gandhi echoed his Operation Sindoor narrative

A former French Navy pilot who publicly claimed during Operation Sindoor that Pakistan’s Chinese-made fighter jets had shot down Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafales has now come under formal investigation in France over allegations of passing sensitive military information to Chinese operatives. Pierre-Henri Chuet, a former naval aviator and defence commentator, was detained and questioned by France’s domestic intelligence agency before being released under judicial supervision. French investigators are probing allegations that he shared classified military knowledge with China while he was still serving in the French Navy. French ex-pilot Pierre-Henri Chuet, who claimed the Indian Air Force lost Rafale jets during Operation Sindoor and praised Chinese fighter jets, has been detained for spying for China. pic.twitter.com/rHnhov7C9B— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) July 31, 2026 The development has drawn attention not only because of the espionage allegations but also because Chuet had emerged as one of the prominent foreign commentators making unverified claims about India’s military operations during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. His videos, which praised Chinese fighter aircraft and questioned the capabilities of the Rafale, were widely circulated online despite the absence of any official evidence supporting his assertions. French pilot placed under formal investigation According to reports by French investigative outlets Le Canard Enchaîné, Mediapart, and Intelligence Online, Chuet was taken into custody during the week of 20th July, 2026, by the Directorate-General for Internal Security (DGSI), France’s principal domestic intelligence and counter-terrorism agency. Investigators also searched his residence before presenting him before an investigating magistrate. Although he has since been released, Chuet has been placed under formal judicial investigation. French prosecutors are examining multiple allegations against him, including sharing intelligence with a foreign power, disclosure of national defence secrets, collection of information relating to France’s fundamental national interests, and delivering sensitive information to a foreign country. Chuet, who holds dual French and Canadian citizenship, served in French naval aviation until around 2021. During his military career, he flew Super Étendard strike fighters and Rafale M multirole fighter aircraft from France’s only operational aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle. He has denied any wrongdoing. Speaking to Le Canard Enchaîné, Chuet said, “I simply led two three-day seminars. My 2019 trip did not go very well. I never set foot in China again afterwards.” What Chuet claimed during Operation Sindoor Alongside his military background, Chuet built a significant public profile as a defence analyst, regularly appearing on television and operating a YouTube channel with more than 560,000 subscribers. During Operation Sindoor, the four-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May 2025, Chuet released several videos analysing the aerial engagements.  In one video published on 10th May, 2025, he claimed that a Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighter had successfully shot down an Indian Air Force Rafale using a Chinese-made PL-15 beyond-visual-range missile. At the time, there was no official confirmation from India supporting such a claim. In subsequent videos, Chuet went further, praising Pakistan’s Chinese-origin J-10C and JF-17 fighter aircraft. He described the aircraft and the PL-15 missile as “Rafale killers”, arguing that the conflict had demonstrated the superiority of Chinese air combat technology over the French-built Rafale. His remarks attracted significant attention internationally and were frequently cited on social media by accounts promoting Pakistan’s version of events during the conflict. Why French authorities are investigating him The espionage allegations against Chuet, however, predate his comments on Operation Sindoor. According to French media reports, investigators believe Chuet made at least two undeclared trips to China in September 2018 and August 2019 while he was still serving in the French Navy. French military regulations reportedly required him to inform his commanding officers before undertaking such travel, but investigators allege that these visits were not declared. The trips were organised through the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), a South African aviation company, which reportedly arranged training programmes for Chinese military personnel. Mediapart reported that the first seminar focused on technologies used in aircraft carrier landings. The second programme allegedly expanded to include aircraft carrier operations, training for naval aviators, landing signal officers (LSOs), operations involving the E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, and discussions relating to recent Western military operations in Syria. Former French Navy fighter pilot and aviation YouTuber Pierre-Henri Chuet (“Até Chuet”) has been placed under formal investigation in Paris on four national security charges, including intelligence with a foreign power and disclosing defense secrets.Investigators say he… pic.twitter.com/YPdmgfzfmJ— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 28, 2026 The allegations first surfaced publicly in 2023 and resurfaced in 2025. In April 2025, prosecutors in Paris confirmed that France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces had referred a case involving a former serviceman suspected of sharing intelligence with a foreign power, disclosing national defence secrets, violating military regulations, engaging in dual employment, and laundering proceeds linked to tax fraud. French newspaper Le Parisien later identified that individual as Pierre-Henri Chuet. The preliminary inquiry eventually led to the recent detention, questioning, and formal judicial investigation now underway. Part of a wider pattern of alleged Chinese recruitment Chuet is not the first Western military pilot accused of assisting China. Reuters reported earlier in 2026 that US authorities arrested and charged a former US Air Force F-35 pilot for allegedly providing military training to Chinese personnel. In June 2024, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand jointly issued a security bulletin warning that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continued to recruit current and former military personnel from NATO countries and other Western nations to strengthen its military capabilities. Despite the accusations, Chuet continues to deny that he transferred classified information to China, maintaining that his involvement was limited to conducting two short seminars. Rahul Gandhi echoed the Pakistani narrative based on his false claims  Chuet’s claims regarding Operation Sindoor also became part of the political debate in India. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi echoed the Pakistani narrative based on his false claims and argued that while Pakistan repeatedly claimed to have shot down multiple Indian Rafale fighter jets, Rahul Gandhi questioned the Union government instead of demanding evidence from Islamabad. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya alleged that, “During Operation Sindoor, when India was confronting a grave national security challenge, Rahul Gandhi chose to amplify questions and narratives that mirrored Pakistan’s propaganda about Indian Rafale fighter jets.” Malviya further claimed, “Instead of demanding evidence from Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi sought answers from the Government of India, lending credibility to an adversarial claim at a sensitive moment.” The BJP linked its argument to a recent Indian Air Force Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a five-month bridge support package covering all 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in India’s fleet. According to the party, because the tender covered all 36 aircraft, it contradicted Pakistan’s repeated claims that several Rafales had been destroyed during Operation Sindoor. While the BJP has argued that the maintenance tender disproves Pakistan’s claims, the Congress has continued to question aspects of the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor.