Three New Rafale Fighter Jets To Land In India Next Week

Three Rafale fighter jets are going to land in India from France in the next week. The expected date is either the 30th of March or the 31st of March. 

According to French and Indian diplomats, an Indian Air Force (IAF) team already reached Merignac airbase in Bordeaux to finalise the date for ferrying the three Rafales to Ambala.

These three IAF fire jets are the second shipment to India from France. The first were five jets inducted into the IAF on the 29th of July 2020.

These Rafale jets are of the 36 contracted jets by India from France. In 2016, the Defense Ministry of India signed a contract of 36 Rafale jets from the aviation company, Dassault.

These jets would boost the power of Indian Air Force.

In 2019, Rajnath Singh, the Defense Minister of India, visited France and attended the induction and handover ceremony of the first Rafale jets slated for the Indian Air Force (IAF.)

Recently, during the Rajya Sabha proceedings, Mr. Rajnath Singh said, “I want to inform that till now, 11 Rafale have arrived and by this March, 17 Rafale will be on our land. I also inform that all Rafale will be reach India by April, 2022.”

According to sources, these Rafale jets are better than the fighter jets of both Pakistan and China. Once ready, the Rafales would be able to outgun and outrun Pakistani F-16 and JF-17 as well as the Chinese Chengdu J-20 fighter jets.

The Indian Government is also planning to equip the Rafale jets with the “Hammer” beyond visual range missiles, for advantages over China along the LAC. The 20 to to 70 km range Hammers are designed to destroy bunkers, hardened shelters and other targets in all terrains including the mountainous ones in eastern Ladakh. A Rafale can carry up to six Hammers to hit many targets simultaneously.

Besides, these jets have a combat range of 780 km to 1,650 km depending on the mission, the jets come armed with a deadly weapons package, advanced avionics, radars and electronic warfare systems to prevent jamming by adversaries and ensure superior survivability in hostile airspace.

While 3 jets landed today, 9 more jets are expected to land by April 2021.

The Rafale aircraft would be used in the air bases in Ambala in Punjab and Hasimara in West Bengal.

Stay tuned for further updates.