Third batch of 3 Rafale fighter jets reach India

The third batch of three Rafale aircraft landed at an IAF base late in the evening on Wednesday. They flew over 7000 km with in-flight refuelling. The aircraft got airborne earlier in the day from Istres Air Base in France. IAF has deeply appreciated the tanker support provided by the UAE Air Force.

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Boost to the IAF

After the third batch of three Rafale fighter aircraft flying to India, the total strength of Rafale fighter aircraft in India rises to 11. After the first batch of five Rafale jets that reached India on July 29, 2020, and were formally inducted into IAF on September 10, 2020, the Indian Air Force got an extraordinary push with enhanced fighter power. The second batch of three more Rafale air jets joined the Indian Air Force’s solitary Rafale squadron in November when they flew non-stop from France to Jamnagar to finally reach Ambala.

The third batch of three more Rafale fighter aircraft will add more strength to the IAF. The chief of Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria had announced about the arrival of 3rd batch of three Rafale Jets during the recent desert night exercise with France and space force in Jodhpur. The three Rafales coming to India flew non-stop from France to India with mid-air refuelling Support by MRTT aircraft of UAE. Soon these jets will be formally inducted into the Golden Arrow Squadron in Ambala.

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India orders 36 French-origin warplanes for IAF

India has ordered 36 French-origin warplanes for Indian Air Force that will constitute two squadrons. The first squadron in Ambala is already up with 8 Rafales and the new batch will take the strength to 11. The jets were ordered from France in September 2016 under a government-to-government deal. The arrival of more fighters will further boost the IAF’s capability to rapidly deploy the advanced jets in the Ladakh region amid a stand-off with China.

The IAF has been operating the fighter jets - equipped with advanced weapons and sensors - in Ladakh where the military is on high alert to deal with any provocation by China amid a lingering border dispute. The IAF will induct three to four jets every two months, with all the 36 planes likely to join its combat fleet by the year-end. After the first squadron gets full strength, the second Rafale squadron will be raised at Hasimara in West Bengal to strengthen the IAF’s capabilities in the eastern sector.

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.

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(Image credits: @IAF_MCC)