In a move that has sparked outrage and mockery, the Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) released a propaganda video falsely portraying India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile as part of Pakistan’s arsenal. The video, titled “Safeguarding Aerial Frontiers”, was shared on May 3, 2025, via the official DGPR PAF account and has since been widely criticized for spreading military misinformation.
The BrahMos missile, jointly developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, is one of India’s most advanced strategic weapons. Known for its high speed of Mach 2.8–3.0 and a range of up to 1,500 km in extended versions, it is not possessed by Pakistan. The video’s depiction of BrahMos as a PAF asset is therefore not only inaccurate but also misleading.
Further undermining its credibility, the video includes unrelated visuals such as SpaceX rocket launches, gameplay from Call of Duty, Turkish Akinci drones, and Russian S-300/S-400 air defense systems—all misrepresented as part of Pakistan’s defense inventory. Defense analysts and social media users were quick to point out these inaccuracies, branding the video as a “fabrication” and “an embarrassment.”
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This is not the first instance of such misrepresentation by the DGPR PAF. On April 29, 2025, another video titled “Pakistan Air Force Reaffirms Unwavering Commitment to National Sovereignty & Defence Excellence” similarly featured misattributed footage, including images of the BrahMos missile. These repeated acts of misinformation have drawn condemnation, especially from Indian defense circles, where the effort is being viewed as a “desperate attempt to feign military parity.”
The timing of the latest video appears calculated, coming just days after the Indian Navy successfully test-fired a BrahMos missile during a combat exercise, reaffirming India’s military strength amid simmering tensions with Pakistan. Observers see the PAF’s misleading video as a counter-narrative that has backfired due to its blatant factual distortions.
Ironically, the use of BrahMos in the PAF video has resurrected memories of the 2022 incident when an Indian BrahMos missile accidentally entered Pakistani airspace and went undetected for 124 km before crashing near Mian Channu. The failure of Pakistan’s air defense to intercept the missile at the time raised serious questions about its surveillance capabilities—now contrasted sharply by the PAF’s appropriation of the same missile in propaganda.
Critics also question the ethical implications of such military propaganda, especially in a region fraught with volatility and nuclear risk. By misrepresenting military assets, analysts argue, Pakistan may be undermining its own credibility at home and abroad.
As of now, the Indian government has not issued an official response, but public sentiment in India has been overwhelmingly critical, viewing the video as both a slight to national innovation and an irresponsible act of information warfare.
This episode further highlights the growing challenges of managing propaganda and misinformation in South Asia, where strategic messaging can have profound implications for peace and stability.
