NEW DELHI — The Indian Air Force (IAF) has effectively debunked long-standing claims from Islamabad regarding the loss of a Rafale fighter jet during last year’s border skirmishes. 
Aircraft BS-022, which Pakistan had claimed to have shot down during Operation Sindoor, took a prominent role in the flypast during India's 77th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path.
The visual evidence of the aircraft flying in formation serves as a high-profile rebuttal to the narrative maintained by Rawalpindi for over eight months.
Background: Operation Sindoor
The military standoff began following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, prompting New Delhi to launch Operation Sindoor. During the four-day conflict, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and state-aligned media outlets claimed to have downed multiple Indian Rafale jets, specifically identifying tail number BS-022 as destroyed.
This is the second major Pakistani claim from the conflict to be visually disproven. Previously, Islamabad asserted it had destroyed an S-400 air defense system at the Adampur Air Base. That claim was dismissed shortly after the ceasefire when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was photographed at the base with the intact system.
Aerial Displays at Kartavya Path
The IAF utilized the Republic Day parade to honor its role in the conflict, featuring 29 aircraft in a series of sophisticated maneuvers:
- The 'Sindoor' Formation: A spearhead formation consisting of two Rafales, two Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs, two MiG-29s, and a Jaguar, specifically dedicated to the IAF’s performance during the April standoff.
- The 'Vajraang' Formation: An impressive display featuring six Rafale jets.
- Total Fleet: The flypast included 16 fighter jets, four transport aircraft, and nine helicopters, including Apache units and the Navy’s P-8i.
The display concluded with the traditional Vertical Charlie, a high-speed pull-up maneuver that remains a hallmark of the IAF’s aerial prowess.
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