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New Delhi (CNI) The Indian government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check has officially rejected recent claims by the Pakistani YouTube channel Global Times Pakistan, which alleged that India is planning to ground its fleet of Rafale fighter jets. PIB clarified that Indian Air Force Rafale jets remain fully operational, and citizens are advised to rely only on official information sources⁤ .

This is not an isolated false assertion. During Operation Sindoor in May 2025, Pakistan circulated claims that it had shot down multiple Indian aircraft, including three Rafale jets. PIB firmly labelled this narrative as “Pakistan-sponsored propaganda”, clarifying that no Rafale jet was downed during the strikes⁤ .

In a high‑profile rebuttal, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, described the shoot-down claims as “factually incorrect”, reaffirming the operational reliability of the Rafale aircraft delivered to India⁤ .

Moreover, Defence Secretary R.K. Singh stated that India suffered no loss of Rafale jets, while Pakistan incurred significantly greater losses—reportedly over 100 casualties during the operation⁤ .

Expert analyses have also exposed the flaws in Pakistan’s narrative. The wreckage images widely circulated were identified as outdated or mislabelled, and some purported debris attributed to Rafale turned out to be parts of other aircraft such as Mirage 2000 drop tanks—not evidence of destroyed Rafale jets⁤ .(CNI)