Guwahati: The first consignment of five Rafale fighter jets commissioner by India took off from France on Monday. They will be arriving in India on Wednesday and join the Indian Air Force fleet at the Ambala airbase in Haryana, subject to weather conditions.
These multi-role fighter aircraft will arrive in the country four years after India signed an inter-governmental deal with France in September 2016 for 36 Rafale Jets worth Rs 59,000.
The first five Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafales took off from the Dassault Aviation Facility in Merignac, France. These jets include three single seaters and two twin seater aircraft, said an official release.
The transport of the aircraft is being done in two stages. IAF pilots who have undergone extensive training on the aircraft will be flying them and will be in charge of Air to Air refueling during the first stage of the transport. French Air Force is providing tanker support for this journey.
The Indian Embassy in Paris tweeted, "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."
Although the five jets are scheduled to be inducted into the IAF on Wednesday afternoon, an IAF spokesperson said that the formal induction ceremony will be conducted in mid-August.
According to official sources, the Rafale jets are likely to be deployed in the Ladakh sector as IAF continues to enhance operational capabilities along the line Line of Actual Control with China in view of the recent border dispute.
These jets are equipped with a range of weapons, including the European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile. Along with these heavy-duty weapons, the jets will include Israeli helmet mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low-band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems.
Out of the 36 jets ordered, 30 will be fighter jets and 6 will be trainers.