NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force’s Republic Day flypast this year carried more than ceremonial significance. Among the frontline aircraft flying over Kartavya Path was Rafale fighter jet BS-022, an aircraft that the Pakistan Air Force had claimed was shot down during the May 2025 air confrontation under Operation Sindoor. An official video posted by the Indian Air Force showing the flypast has since confirmed that the aircraft is fully operational, offering a clear and visual rebuttal to those claims.
The flypast comes nearly eight months after Pakistan’s military and aligned information channels had alleged that multiple Indian fighter jets, including Rafales, were destroyed during the brief but intense escalation between the two countries. One of the tail numbers repeatedly mentioned in those claims was BS-022.
Operation Sindoor and the battle of narratives
Operation Sindoor was launched by India in early May 2025 following a major terror attack in Pahalgam. The operation involved precision strikes on terror infrastructure across the border and led to large-scale aerial activity, including long-range engagements and heightened air defence deployment on both sides.
During this period, Pakistan’s military spokespersons and social media networks began circulating claims that the Pakistan Air Force had shot down several Indian aircraft, including multiple Rafales. Specific serial numbers were named, images were shared, and narratives were built around supposed wreckage.
However, these claims were never supported by independently verifiable evidence.
In the days that followed, India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) issued a series of fact-checks, stating that several viral visuals being circulated as proof were either old, unrelated to the conflict, or digitally misrepresented. Defence observers also pointed out inconsistencies in the Pakistani narrative, noting the absence of confirmed crash sites, identifiable wreckage, or neutral verification for most of the aircraft Pakistan claimed to have destroyed.
While India did not provide a detailed public accounting of aircraft losses, which is standard practice in many military operations, it steadily countered false information. The government and armed forces avoided daily rebuttals, instead allowing official briefings, verified imagery and operational activity to speak for themselves.
India’s silent messaging strategy
In the months after the operation, this approach became more visible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public appearance in front of India’s S-400 air defence system was widely seen as a symbolic signal of confidence in India’s air defence and deterrence posture, at a time when online narratives were questioning Indian air power.
The Republic Day flypast has now taken that message further.
The appearance of Rafale BS-022 in an official national ceremony, broadcast live and later released in high-resolution footage by the Indian Air Force, directly contradicts Pakistan’s earlier claims. The aircraft was seen flying in formation with other frontline assets, confirming not only its survival but its continued integration into operational squadrons.
The IAF’s official video has added a layer of formal confirmation. In modern military communication, such visuals are not routine optics alone. They function as open-source evidence. Aircraft participating in tightly planned ceremonial flypasts must meet strict airworthiness and operational criteria, making their presence a strong indicator of active service status.
From claims to visible proof
The 2025 India-Pakistan air confrontation was one of the most significant aerial standoffs in South Asia in decades, involving dozens of aircraft, advanced radar systems and beyond-visual-range engagements. Alongside the military dimension, it also saw a parallel surge in information warfare, where claims, counter-claims and unverified footage flooded social media and regional news spaces.
Against that backdrop, today’s flypast places a clear marker in the public record.
Rather than responding through repeated press statements, India has once again chosen to rely on visible capability. A fighter aircraft once declared destroyed by an adversary flying openly above the national parade sends a message that is difficult to contest.
By allowing Rafale BS-022 to appear before the nation and the world, the Indian Air Force has quietly but firmly shifted the public narrative from allegation to visible evidence.
About the Author
