The Indian Air Force (IAF) is preparing to deploy several of its Dassault Rafale fighter jets for Cope India 2025, a joint military exercise with the United States.
The participation of three specific aircraft, identified by their tail numbers BS-021, BS-022, and BS-027, has definitively disproven claims made by Pakistan earlier this year that these jets had been shot down during the May 2025 conflict.
In May, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) propaganda channels asserted that its J-10CE fighters had successfully destroyed three Indian Rafales using long-range PL-15 air-to-air missiles.
This claim, made during a brief period of cross-border hostilities, was met with immediate skepticism as Pakistani officials failed to produce any supporting evidence. No images of wreckage, radar data, or cockpit videos were ever released to substantiate the assertion.
Both the Indian government and the aircraft's manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, strongly refuted the Pakistani narrative at the time. Indian defence officials maintained that no aircraft were lost in enemy action.
The CEO of Dassault Aviation, Éric Trappier, also dismissed the reports as "inaccurate propaganda," reinforcing that no Rafales had been downed in combat.
Official sources have confirmed that all IAF aircraft involved in "Operation Sindoor"—the codename for India's retaliatory deep-strike missions in May—returned to their bases safely.
These precision strikes, launched in response to a major terror attack, were reportedly a significant factor in Pakistan agreeing to a ceasefire within 72 hours of the conflict's escalation.
The physical and operational presence of the jets in question provides the final, irrefutable evidence. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts and aviation trackers have independently verified that the Rafales with tail numbers BS-021, BS-022, and BS-027 remain active.
The aircraft are part of the IAF's No. 101 Squadron, known as the "Falcons," which operates from Air Force Station Hasimara in West Bengal. Their appearance on the flight line for the upcoming Cope India 2025 exercise serves as a clear and public contradiction of Pakistan's claims.
Military analysts view Pakistan's unsubstantiated assertions as an information strategy aimed at boosting domestic morale and attempting to counter the strategic impact of India's successful air operations.
The re-emergence of these same aircraft for a high-profile international exercise highlights the operational readiness of the IAF's Rafale fleet and exposes the disinformation campaign.
