New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: The first five of the 36 Rafale fighter jets procured from the Dassault Aviation company will be formally inducted into the Indian Air Force by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 10 at the Ambala airbase in Haryana. India has also invited Singh’s French counterpart Florence Parly to attend the induction ceremony.
Quoting sources, ANI reported that the induction ceremony will be held after the return of the Defence Minister from Russia early next month where he is due to attend meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The five jets had arrived in India from France on July 29, this year. The delivery of all 36 aircrafts will be completed on schedule by the end of 2021. The emergency acquisition was made primarily to check the depleting combat capability of the IAF as the number of its fighter squadrons had come down to a worrying 31 against the authorised strength of at least 42.
"The Rafale aircraft induction ceremony would be held on September 10 with the Defence Minister as the chief guest,” sources said. “The French defence minister is also being sent an invite to attend the event to mark the strategic friendship between India and France.”
The Rafale jets, known for air-superiority and precision strikes, are India''s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA''s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp cruise missile and MICA weapons system will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.
Posted By: Lakshay Raja
