From Bordeaux in France to the Al Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates, the first batch of five Dassault Rafales will fly nearly 8,000km before reaching their destination, Ambala, Haryana, on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Indian Air Force released a treat for aviation enthusiasts: Images of the Rafale being refuelled mid-air on its way to the Al Dhafra airbase.
“Indian Air Force appreciates the support provided by French Air Force for our Rafale journey back home,” the IAF tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Indian Air Force appreciates the support provided by French Air Force for our Rafale journey back home. <a href="https://twitter.com/Armee_de_lair?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Armee_de_lair</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Indian_Embassy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Indian_Embassy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Dassault_OnAir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dassault_OnAir</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianAirForce?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianAirForce</a> <a href="https://t.co/7Ec8oqOJmr">pic.twitter.com/7Ec8oqOJmr</a></p>— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1288052402583527427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Rafales were refuelled by a French Air Force Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Aircraft (MRTA) during its journey to Al Dhafra (a distance of over 5,000km). Incidentally, a Russian tanker aircraft will be the next to refuel the Rafale, with the IAF’s own IL-76 to handle mid-air refuelling in the next leg of the Rafale’s journey to Delhi.
The Indian Embassy in France also shared some snaps of the mid-air refuelling.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Few shots from 30,000 feet! Mid air refuelling of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RafaleJets?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RafaleJets</a> on their way to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a><a href="https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IAF_MCC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/French_Gov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@French_Gov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FranceinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FranceinIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianDiplomacy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianDiplomacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DDNewslive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DDNewslive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ANI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceMinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DefenceMinIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Armee_de_lair?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Armee_de_lair</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JawedAshraf5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JawedAshraf5</a> <a href="https://t.co/VE7lJUcZe7">pic.twitter.com/VE7lJUcZe7</a></p>— India in France (@Indian_Embassy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Indian_Embassy/status/1288057978357198848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The much-anticipated aircraft will be met with elaborate security arrangements at Ambala, where Section 144 has been enforced around the airbase, with photography prohibited at the time of its landing and gathering on roofs prohibited. Drone activity has also been prohibited within 3km of the Ambala Air Force station.
In addition to the Rafale, France also sent medical equipment onboard an Airbus A330 MRTT,
carrying 50 Osiris-3 ventilators, 70 Yuwell 830 ventilators, 50,000 IgG/IgM test kits and 50,000 nose & throat swabs, which was handed over to R.K. Jain, Secretary General of the Indian Red Cross. The donations come after France granted €200 million in financial aid through the French Development Agency.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Delighted to hand over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> medical equipment from France to Shri RK Jain, Secy General <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianRedCross?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianRedCross</a>.<br><br>France earlier granted €200 MN in financial aid to India thro’ <a href="https://twitter.com/AFD_en?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AFD_en</a>. With <a href="https://twitter.com/IFCCI1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IFCCI1</a> CSR committee, French companies, too, have contributed to relief efforts in India. <a href="https://t.co/1UEzpp6Dwn">pic.twitter.com/1UEzpp6Dwn</a></p>— Emmanuel Lenain (@FranceinIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/FranceinIndia/status/1288084400442241025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
