Second Rafale Jets Squadron to be raised in West Bengal by April: Report

The Indian Air Force is going to raise a second squadron of the Rafale combat aircraft next month in West Bengal, said official sources on Thursday.  Sources also said that the squadron will be based in Hasimara airbase. The first squadron of the Rafale jets is stationed at Ambala Air Force station. 

India inducts Rafale Fighters

In a boost to its strike capability, the IAF had received the first batch of five Rafale jets in July last year, nearly four years after the government inked an agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The second batch of three Rafale fighter jets joined the IAF in November.

In January, the third batch of three Rafale aircraft landed at an IAF base has after flying over 7,000 km with in-flight refuelling. The aircraft was airborne earlier from Istres Air Base in France. IAF has deeply appreciated the tanker support provided by the UAE Air Force.

The twin-engine Rafale jets are capable of carrying out a variety of missions – ground and sea attack, air defence and air superiority, reconnaissance, and nuclear strike deterrence. The fighters can carry almost 10 tonnes of weapons.

The missile was originally designed and manufactured for the French Air Force and Navy. Meteor is the next generation of BVR air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed to revolutionize air-to-air combat. The weapon has been developed by MBDA to combat common threats facing the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Sweden.

Last month, while speaking in Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh had said that 11 Rafale aircraft have arrived in India, while the entire batch of aircraft will come to India by April 2022. While responding to a question posed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Mahesh Poddar in Rajya Sabha, the Defence Minister had informed that by March 2021, India will have 17 Rafale aircraft.