Rafale Deal: First Squadron of 5 Jets Fly to Reach India on Wednesday

Shubham Jaiswal ([email protected])

In the midst of the border row with China, the first five-aircraft squadron of the much-awaited Rafale jets are all set to fly out of France on Monday to join the expanding Air Force fleet in Ambala, Haryana, by Wednesday morning.

The jet planes will be refuelled by French Air Force tanker aircraft on their way to an airbase in the UAE on Tuesday before leaving for India, the Indian Embassy said today.
The first batch of Rafale jets also includes Trainer RB-003, in which ‘RB’ for Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, the Chief of Air Staff.

Bon Voyage: Indian Ambassador to #France interacts with the Indian pilots of the Rafale. Congratulates and wishes them a safe flight to India with a single hop. #ResurgentIndia #NewIndia #Rafale@IAF_MCC @MeaIndia @rajnathsingh @Dassault_OnAir @DefenceMinIndia @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/jk3IWD9tYU

— India in France (@Indian_Embassy) July 27, 2020

With the induction of the mega fleet, the Indian Air Force plans to integrate it with a new generation air-to-ground missile systems having a strike range of up to 60 KM, officials told PTI.