Rafale That Pakistan Claimed To Have Shot Down During Op Sindoor Flies High At Republic Day Parade

The Indian Air Force (IAF) led the grand finale of the 77th Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path on Monday with a spectacular aerial fly-past, displaying India’s aerial might.

Notably, the Rafale fighter jet with tail number BS-022 was also seen in the Republic Day video released by the IAF. The Pakistan Air Force had falsely claimed the same aircraft to have been shot down during the four-day military stand-off following Operation Sindoor.

Formation (4/8) pic.twitter.com/hqtM7fZLD0

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 26, 2026

Pakistan-based propaganda accounts had also alleged that Pakistan destroyed Indian Rafale fighter jets and S-400 air defence systems during Operation Sindoor. India, however, clarified that none of its Rafale jets suffered

any harm or damage during the operation.

As part of the fly-past, multiple aircraft, including Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, Apache helicopters and the Indian Navy’s P-8i aircraft flew in coordinated formations over Kartavya Path. The fly-past featured 29 aircraft, including 16 fighter jets, four transport aircraft and nine helicopters.

Two Rafale jets, two MiG-29s, two Su-30s, and one Jaguar aircraft were part of a ‘spearhead’ formation, which symbolised the ‘Sindoor formation’. It was dedicated to the Air Force’s role in Operation Sindoor, which was launched in May last year to eliminate terrorists following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

Six Rafale aircraft formed the Vajraang formation, a high-precision display highlighting the Air Force’s strategic and operational capabilities. The Vijay formation drew special attention as a Rafale aircraft flew at a speed of 900 kmph at an altitude of 300 metres above ground level over the water channel north of Rajpath, before executing a Vertical Charlie manoeuvre.

During ‘Vertical Charlie’, the aircraft flew low and fast, then pulled up into a vertical climb, and performed multiple rolls showcasing its incredible thrust, power and the pilot’s skills.

Operation Sindoor

India launched “precision strikes” under Operation Sindoor on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

In its initial phase, the Indian Air Force focused on dismantling terror camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes killed over 100 terrorists, including 10 family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and four close aides.

But when Pakistan attempted a retaliatory military response, including plans to target Indian cities and key installations, India escalated. In a decisive second phase, carried out on the night of May 9–10, Indian forces struck a string of major Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan, Sargodha, Jacobabad, Murid, and Rafiqui, inflicting damage that Islamabad is still struggling to account for publicly.

The operation sparked four days of cross-border fighting involving fighter jets, missiles and artillery.