Rafales enter India in formation on-camera; establish radio contact with INS Kolkata

As India awaits the arrival of the first five Rafale jets from France, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has confirmed that all of them have entered the Indian air space and are being escorted by 2 SU30 MKIs. The Rafale jets will land at Ambala Air Base, and if the weather conditions are unfavourable, they will instead go to Jodhpur airbase which has also been prepped for their arrival. IAF chief RKS Bhadauria will be on hand to receive them. The Defence Minister has shared stunning visuals of the Rafale complement in formation.

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Earlier, the Indian Rafale contingent established contact with Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata, deployed in the Western Arabian Sea. INS Kolkata Delta 63 was heard sending the following message: 

Arrow leader, Welcome to Indian Ocean.

Rafale leader: Many thanks. Most reassuring to have an Indian warship guarding seas

INS Kolkata: May you touch the sky with glory. Happy landings

Rafale leader: Wish you fair winds. Happy hunting. Over&out

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Rafale to arrive at Ambala

The first batch of five Rafale fighter aircraft took off from France for India on Monday, nearly four years after the two countries inked an inter-governmental agreement to supply 36 of the multi-role jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF) under a Rs 59,000-crore deal.The aircraft flew out from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux and are covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates before their planned arrival at Ambala Air Base.

The sophisticated aircraft are expected to significantly boost the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities at a time India is locked in a tense border row with China in eastern Ladakh.  Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had received the first Rafale during his visit to the Dassault Aviation facility in Mérignac, France on October 8, 2019. However, the arrival of the aircraft after being refitted with India-specific enhancements was postponed by two months in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Some of the India-specific modifications in the aircraft include radar warning receivers, low band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems. 

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