NEW DELHI, July 29, 2020 (BSS) – Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said that arrival of Rafales combat jets in India will “make its air force much stronger to deter any threat that may be pose on the country”.
As the first batch of five Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) Rafale jets landed in Haryanan’s Ambala air base today,
Singh in a series of tweets welcomed the France-made fighter planes, saying, “The Birds have entered the Indian airspace… Happy Landing in Ambala!”
In the first batch, five Rafale fighter planes — three single-seater and two twin-seater jets — landed in Ambala air base after covering a distance of nearly 8,500 km from France to join the Indian Air Force.
The fleet of five Rafales will be part of the IAF’s No 17 squadron, which is also known as the “Golden Arrows”. The Rafale aircraft were escorted by two SU30 MKIs as they entered Indian airspace.
Congratulating Indian Air Force (IAF) on professionally executed ferry, Rajnath Singh said, “IAF’s combat capability has got a timely boost with the joining of Rafales fighter jets in its fleet,” according to a defence ministry statement issued here today.
“The touch-down of Rafale combat aircraft in India marks the beginning of a new era in our military history. These multirole aircraft will revolutionize the capabilities of the IAF,” he said in another tweet.
He said this aircraft has very good flying performance and its weapons, radar and other sensors and electronic warfare capabilities are amongst the best in the world.
India procured the Rafale jets from France through an Inter-Governmental Agreement to meet operational requirements of Indian Air Force.
A deal was signed on September 23, 2016 for 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers.
The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets.
However, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah called the arrival of Rafale fighter aircraft at Ambala airbase as a “historic day” for Indian Air Force and proud moment for India saying that the “world-class fighter jets will prove to be a game-changer,” official sources said.
In a series of tweets, Shah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Indian Air Force and the entire country on this “momentous day”.
Earlier, Captain of the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kolkata welcomed Rafale Arrow Leader in the Indian Ocean by saying, “May you touch the sky with glory.”