3 more French Rafale fighter jets arrive in India |
A fresh batch of three Rafale fighter jets landed in India on 21st July after flying almost 7,000 km non-stop from France, in a further boost to the air power capability of the Indian Air Force. The aircraft were provided mid-air refuelling by air force tankers of the United Arab Emirates. The Indian Air Force confirmed the arrival of the 3 fighters. This is the seventh set of these planes. The first batch of five French-made multirole Rafale fighter jets had arrived in India on 29th July 202o, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to purchase 36 of these aircraft. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier said induction of the jets was crucial considering the atmosphere being created along the frontier and that it is a `big and stern` message to those eyeing India`s sovereignty. The multirole Rafale jets, built by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are known for air-superiority and precision strikes. The delivery of all 36 Rafale jets is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021. Among 36 aircraft, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The Rafale aircraft which have already arrived in Ambala would start ferrying to the Hashimara air base in next few days. The second Rafale squadron would get operational by July 26. The 101 squadron would be mainly responsible for looking after the eastern frontier with China-based in Hashimara while the 17 squadron in Ambala would be looking after the Northern borders with China in Ladakh and other areas along with Pakistan.
|
|
|
|