IAF will induct Rafale jets at Ambala base on Sept 10
French defence minister Florence Parly invited to ceremony; next batch of jets expected to arrive in October
NEWDELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) will formally induct its latest Rafale fighter jets at the Ambala airbase on September 10 in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh, officials familiar with the development said on Friday.
India has also invited Singh’s French counterpart, Florence Parly, to attend the ceremony, they added. Five Rafales of the 36 ordered by the IAF arrived at the Ambala airbase on July 29, ending the IAF’S wait for new fighter jets to sharpen its combat potential. While IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and senior air force officials welcomed the Rafales and the pilots on their arrival, a formal induction ceremony was reserved for another day.
The jets have come at a time when India and China are locked in border tensions in eastern Ladakh.
The next batch of three to four Rafale jets is expected to arrive in Ambala from France in October followed by another batch in December, the officials said. All deliveries will be completed by the end of 2021.
Shortly after they landed last month, the defence minister said the new fighters would enhance the IAF’S capabilities and deter any threat to the country. He also said those who want to threaten India’s territorial integrity should be worried about the new capability.
India’s new Rafale fighters will significantly enhance the offensive capabilities of the air force and prove to be a game changer with their advanced weaponry, high-tech sensors, superior radar for detection and tracking of targets and ability to carry an impressive payload, experts previously told Hindustan Times.
The Rafales are part of the IAF’S No. 17 Squadron, which is also known as the “Golden Arrows”. The aircrew that brought the Rafales to India was headed by Group Captain Harkirat Singh, a decorated fighter pilot, who is the commanding officer of the No. 17 Squadron.
THE RAFALES ARE PART OF THE IAF’S NO. 17 SQUADRON, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE ‘GOLDEN ARROWS’
The aircraft covered a distance of nearly 8,500 km from France to India. The first stage of the flight covered a distance of 5,800 km from Merignac to Al Dhafra, while the second leg covered over 2,700 km from Al Dhafra to Ambala.
The new fighters — the first imported jets to be inducted into the IAF in 23 years after the Russian Sukhoi-30 jets entered service in June 1997 — will significantly enhance the offensive capabilities of IAF, which has for long planned to update its fighter jet force.
The IAF ordered 36 Rafale jets from France in a governmentto-government deal worth Rs 59,000 crore in September 2016. They have been specially tailored for IAF.
The Rafale weaponry includes Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, Mica multi-mission air-to-air missiles and Scalp deep-strike cruise missiles --- weapons that allow fighter pilots to attack air and ground targets from standoff ranges and fill a significant capability gap.