1st batch of IAF Rafale fighters reach Ambala, got Sukhoi escort
The Rafales are India's first major acquisition of new fighters in over two 2 decades
The Rafales are India's first major acquisition of new fighters in over two 2 decades
The Rafales are India's first major acquisition of new fighters in over two 2 decades
The Rafales are India's first major acquisition of new fighters in over two 2 decades
Over five years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 'surprise' deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, the first five aircraft for the Indian Air Force landed in Ambala on Wednesday afternoon.
The aircraft took off from the Al Dhafra airbase in the UAE on Wednesday morning. The five Rafale jets were flagged off from a Dassault facility in Bordeaux on Monday, from where they flew to the UAE.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's office said the Rafales were escorted by two Sukhoi 30 MKIs after they entered Indian airspace. The jets were also refuelled mid-air from a French tanker at a height of 30,000 feet.
News agency ANI reported the fleet of Rafale jets established radio contact with the INS Kolkata, an Indian Navy destroyer in the Arabian Sea soon after take-off.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria was, reportedly, present to receive the Rafale fleet at Ambala.
The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of new fighter planes in over two decades, and they are expected to significantly boost the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities. On Tuesday, the government imposed Section 144 in the vicinity of the Ambala air base to minimise unauthorised gatherings ahead of the arrival of the Rafale jets.