IAF all set to receive first batch of Rafale jets
NEW DELHI | JULY 20, 2020:
The first batch of five out of 36 Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale fighter jets will arrive in India by the end of July.
With the Indian Army stretched between the northern borders with China and locked in multiple standoffs with the People's Liberation Army, the western borders have witnessed an increase in cross-border firing and infiltration attempts from the Pakistan side. The fighter jets could tip the scales in India's favour.
The five Rafale jets will be inducted at the Air Force Station in Ambala on July 29 and the final induction ceremony will take place in August.
According to IAF sources, the IAF aircrew and ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly advanced weapons systems. Efforts will focus on making the jets operational at the earliest.
The Rafale fighter jets are also armed to the teeth with beyond visual range missiles such as Meteor, SCALP, and MICA.
"There would always be a fear factor within the minds of the enemies," said a senior IAF officer.
"India will be supreme in the sky when the Rafale fighter jet comes into the picture," he added.
The will be two squadrons of Rafale fighter jets. One at the Ambala Air Force Station and the other at Hashimara.
It may be mentioned that India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in 2016 to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets for Rs. 58,000 crore. The jets are manufactured by France-based Dassault Aviation.
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