NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force on Republic Day released official footage of frontline fighter jets armed with advanced missiles, seeking to counter claims by Pakistani and Western critics who had questioned India’s use of high-end weaponry during the 2019 Balakot air strikes and Operation Sindoor last year.The video, posted on X, showed Rafale, Sukhoi-30MKI and indigenously built Tejas fighter aircraft with fully loaded hardpoints carrying Meteor and BrahMos missiles. The visuals confirmed that both missile systems were operationally deployed during Operation Sindoor, effectively ending months of speculation over whether India possessed and used the beyond visual range Meteor missile during cross-border operations.
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