NewDelhi September 10 :Days after the receiving its first delivery, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will formally induct the Rafale fighter jets on Thursday at the Ambala airbase in Haryana. The first batch of the Rafale jets, which India received from France on July 27, will be a part of the IAF’s 17 squadrons, the ‘Golden Arrows’.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with his French counterpart Florence Parly, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhaduria, will attend the ceremony on Thursday.
The French delegation will also include French envoy Emmanuel Lenain, Air General Eric Autellet, Vice Chief of French Air Force, Chairman and Chief Executive of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier, and CEO of missile maker MBDA Eric Beranger.
The Indian Air Force, which has termed the ceremony as ‘very important milestone’ in its history, has said that a traditional water cannon salute will be given to the Rafale fleet before its ceremonial induction on July 27.
“The program will include the ceremonial unveiling of the Rafale aircraft, a traditional ‘Sarva Dharma Puja’, air display by Rafale and Tejas aircraft as well as by ‘Sarang aerobatic team’,” news agency PTI quoted an IAF official as saying.
Rafale is a twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft that has been designed by Dassault Aviation. India under the Narendra Modi government had signed a deal with France to purchase 36 Rafale jets – 30 fighters and six trainers – for Rs 59,000 crore.
The Rafale jets are capable of carrying a variety of weapons and missiles, including MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missiles and Scalp cruise missiles.
India had received the first batch of Rafale jets on July 27 which were stationed at the Ambala airbase in Haryana and they were inducted in the IAF’s 17 squadrons, the ‘Golden Arrows’. The 17 Squadron of the IAF was resurrected in September 2019.
India will receive its second batch of Rafale fighter jets in November this year. The second squadron of the Rafale jets will be stationed at the Hasimara air base in West Bengal.
The Rafale jets are India’s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI jets were imported from Russia.