Fact Check: Brazilian jet video goes viral as Rafale mid-air refueling

The enthusiasm amid the Indian netizens for the Rafale fighter remains intact even after a couple of days of the delivery. Social media feeds have been flooded with images and videos of the France-manufactured aircraft since five of them landed at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Ambala on Wednesday, July 29.

Among the countless clips that are doing the rounds of the Internet, there is one that showcases mid-air fueling of an aircraft and is being shared with the claims that it is one of India's Rafale jets. The footage has caught the fancy of thousands of social media users and has gone viral on several platforms including Twitter and Instagram.

On the micro-blogging website, the clip has garnered more than 72,000 views and close to 6,000 retweets. "And that is how the refuelling is done mid-air #ThankYouPmModiForRafale #RafaleJets #RafalePowersIndia," read one of the many tweets.

Whereas, on the photo-sharing application, where it was shared by famous Bollywood Photographer Viral Bhayani, the footage has crossed over 7 lakh views. "Few shots from 30,000 feet! Mid air refuelling of #RafaleJets on their way to #India," wrote Bhayani as the caption.

Have a look at the footage below:

The truth behind the clip

While cross-checking the viral video, we at International Business Times, India, found that it is actually of a Brazilian fighter aircraft and has no connection with India's newly bought Rafale jets.

The Brazilian Air Force, in 2018, had shared on Twitter the footage of one of its jets getting refuelled in the air. "F-5 fighter of the Brazilian Air Force performs in-flight refuelling on Brazilian Navy A-4 fighter jets!" the tweet read.

Therefore, the claim that the viral clip showcases the mid-air refuelling of a Rafale jet is false.

Now, if you really wished to see the mid-air visuals of Rafale jets and are disappointed that the footage turned out to be fake, there is an exciting piece of news for you. The official Twitter handle of the Indian embassy in France posted the actual images of the Rafale jets getting refuelled at 30,000 feet.