No, This Video Does Not Show France's 'Farewell' To Rafale Aircraft
BOOM found that the viral video is from Italy's Republic Day celebrations at the Piazza Venezia in Rome.
Claim
A video showing jets fly past a monument forming smoke trails of green, white, and red behind is being shared claiming that it shows France biding farewell to Rafale jets that were destined to reach India. It is viral in the context of the first batch of Rafale fighter jets that got inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Ambala Airforce Airbase on July 29, 2020.
Fact
BOOM was the first to debunk the same video in August 2019, when it was falsely shared as India’s 73 Independence Day celebrated at London’s Trafalgar Square. We found that the viral video shows a flypast for Italy's Republic Day celebrations on June 2 at the Piazza Venezia in Rome. On closer examination, one can spot the Italian flag in the video, and that the monument matches with the Piazza Venezia in Rome, Italy. The Italian Air Force's aerobatic unit Frecce Tricolori (Tricolour Arrows) performs the flyover which is a highlight during the Festa della Repubblica or Republic Day in Italy.
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