Official IAF Documentation Verifies Complete Rafale Fleet Remains Intact, Debunking Pakistan's Claims of Combat Losses

Summary

An official Indian Air Force Request for Proposal issued in June 2026 for a five-month bridge maintenance and support package covering all 36 Rafale aircraft has effectively demolished Pakistan's repeated claims that multiple Rafales were shot down during Operation Sindoor. The tender, which anticipates approximately 2,250 flying hours across the entire fleet, serves as concrete documentary evidence that no aircraft were lost during India's retaliatory strikes following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Pakistan had attempted to sustain its narrative through official statements and coordinated social media campaigns, but these assertions were further undermined when Rafales bearing the specific tail numbers claimed as "destroyed" were subsequently photographed conducting active operational flying. India has consistently characterized Pakistan's loss claims as deliberate disinformation and propaganda designed to misrepresent the outcome of Operation Sindoor, during which Rafales executed precision strikes against targets inside Pakistan. Separately, India is advancing its Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft program to procure 114 additional Rafales from Dassault Aviation, with 18 aircraft to be delivered in flyaway condition and the remainder manufactured domestically with approximately 50% indigenous content under Make in India principles.