India receives first Rafale fighter
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally received the first of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in France on the occasion of Dussehra, an occasion heavy on symbolism as the festival is celebrated across India as the victory of good over evil. The fighter jet was handed over at Merignac at a facility of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale jets.
Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier welcomed Singh after he landed at the Bordeaux-Merignac Air Base from Paris on a French military aircraft. He visited the production unit of Dassault Aviation, along with Trappier and other French officials.
“Former (French) President Jacques Chirac had laid the basic groundwork for strategic partnership between India and France along with Prime Minister (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee. We are thankful to them. Today is a milestone day for Indio-France strategic partnership and a new high in bilateral defence co-operation,” Singh said after the tour.
India chose October 8 for receiving the first Rafale jet not only because it is the occasion of Dussehra, but also because the day is celebrated as Air Force Day every year. The festival of Dussehra symbolises the victory of good over evil as per Hindu traditions. Shastra Puja - or worship of weapons - has been an integral part of Dussehra for ages.
The first jet bears the tail number RB 001 which are the initials of Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh (RKS) Bhadauria, who played a key role on behalf of India in the Rafale negotiations with France.
Before proceeding to Dassault’s Bordeaux facility, Singh called on French President Emmanuel Macron at his official residence Elysee Palace in Paris. He also met the Defence Advisor to the President of France, Admiral Bernard Rogel.
The IAF had “technically accepted” the first Rafale jet on September 20 after a predelivery inspection team completed the documentation formalities. Though Singh received the first Rafale jet in a symbolic ceremony on October 8, it will be seen in Indian skies only in May 2020, when the first four jets physically arrive in India.
India had entered into an intergovernmental agreement with France and Dassault in September 2016 to acquire 36 Rafale jets in flyaway condition at a cost of INR 59,000 crore.
Rafale, a 4.5 generation multi-role combat aircraft, will greatly increase India’s geopolitical stature in South Asia because no other country, including Pakistan, has as advanced an aircraft in its inventory.
India is the fourth country after France, Egypt and Qatar to have inducted the Rafale into its air force.
Meanwhile, IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said it will help the country’s firms in playing a major role in its fleet sustenance, days after asserting that there will be no imports in the foreseeable future to replace the IAF’s ageing aircraft. In his address on the 87th Foundation Day of the IAF, he said the force is committed to building strategic autonomy through indigenous design and manufacturing under the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative of the government.
“We will help Indian firms to play a major role in our fleet sustenance,” said Bhadauria.
He has recently said there will be no imports whatsoever in the foreseeable future to replace the ageing aircraft or increasing the fleet strength. The IAF is short of at least 10-12 squadrons of fighter jets and the existing Bison and non-Bison versions of the MiG-21 planes are also set to be decommissioned very soon.
“The development of the indigenous fifth-generation Advanced Multirole Combat Aircraft (AMCA) has been launched,” the Air Chief said.