In a striking display of military might and a firm rebuttal to false claims, India's 77th Republic Day parade featured a Rafale fighter jet, bearing the tail number BS-022, as part of the "Operation Sindoor" formation. This flypast served to debunk Pakistan's assertion that it had shot down the same aircraft during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The inclusion of Rafale BS-022 was a clear message of India's air prowess and a refutation of Pakistan's propaganda.
The "Operation Sindoor" formation was a key highlight of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) flypast, symbolizing the dominance established by the nation's armed forces during the four-day hostilities with Pakistan that followed the launch of Operation Sindoor. Besides the symbolic importance, the Operation Sindoor tableau featured a Rafale aircraft armed with SCALP missiles, demonstrating a surgical strike on terror infrastructure. The tableau also showcased an SU-30 MKI launching a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, capable of destroying hardened aircraft shelters, and the S-400 system, which neutralized an adversary's airborne early-warning platform at a range of 350km.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, by the Indian armed forces in response to a terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which resulted in the death of 26 people. The operation targeted nine terror infrastructures located within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, associated with groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The Indian forces say that over 100 terrorists were killed during the operation. Some of the terrorists eliminated were allegedly involved in the IC-814 hijacking and the Pulwama attack.
The Ministry of Defence stated that Operation Sindoor was a response to the growing pattern of asymmetric warfare that increasingly targeted civilians alongside military personnel. Without crossing the Line of Control or the international boundary, Indian forces struck terrorist infrastructure and eliminated multiple threats. The IAF bypassed and jammed Pakistan's China-supplied air defense systems, completing strikes in just 23 minutes. The operation also yielded evidence of neutralized hostile technologies, including components of Chinese-origin PL-15 missiles and Turkish-origin UAVs.
In total, 29 aircraft, including 16 fighters, nine helicopters, and four transport planes, participated in the Republic Day flypast, operating from six different bases. The "Operation Sindoor" formation specifically comprised two Rafale jets, two MiG-29s, two Su-30s, and one Jaguar aircraft. Other aircraft in the flypast included C-130 and C-295 transport planes, the Indian Navy's P-8i aircraft, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK IV, and the Indian Army's ALH (Weapons System Integration version), Apache, and Light Combat Helicopters (LCH).
Following India's retaliatory strikes during Operation Sindoor, Pakistani artillery and mortar attacks targeted civilian areas in the Poonch-Rajouri sector along the Line of Control. Indian forces responded by destroying terrorist bunkers and Pakistani army positions that were targeting civilians. India also took diplomatic measures against Pakistan after the April 22 attack.
The participation of Rafale BS-022 in the Republic Day flypast served as a powerful statement, effectively debunking Pakistan's claims and underscoring India's military capabilities and resolve in the face of terrorism.
