New Delhi: A fresh maintenance tender issued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) has effectively countered Pakistan’s repeated claims that India lost several Rafale fighter jets during Operation Sindoor.
The Request for Proposal (RFP), issued in June, seeks short-term maintenance and logistics support for all 36 Rafale fighter aircraft acquired under India’s 2016 deal with France. The contract covers a five-month period and estimates around 2,250 flying hours to ensure uninterrupted operations until a long-term maintenance agreement is finalised later this year.
According to defence officials, the tender’s inclusion of the entire 36-aircraft fleet makes it clear that all Rafale jets remain operational. Had any aircraft been destroyed during Operation Sindoor, the fleet size reflected in the maintenance proposal would have been lower.
Pakistan had claimed that its armed forces shot down multiple Indian Rafale jets during Operation Sindoor, which was launched by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The claims were widely circulated through official statements and social media campaigns. However, India consistently dismissed them as misinformation.
Defence sources pointed out that some of the aircraft Pakistan had claimed were destroyed were later seen participating in operational missions, further undermining the credibility of those assertions.
The Rafale fleet played a key role during Operation Sindoor, carrying out precision strikes on targets inside Pakistan and performing according to operational expectations, defence officials said.
The latest maintenance tender also comes as India advances its Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme, under which the Air Force plans to procure 114 additional fighter jets. Discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have also focused on expanding defence cooperation, including co-development and the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Defence officials said the new RFP reinforces the operational readiness of the Indian Air Force’s Rafale fleet while directly challenging Pakistan’s narrative regarding alleged losses during Operation Sindoor.
With inputs from IANS