Rafale fighter aircraft inducts into india airforce after grand ceremony see pics

The five Rafale aircrafts which arrived on July 27 at Ambala Air Force Station have been inducted to the Indian Air Force’s 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ on Thursday.

The induction of one of the most potent combat jets globally will give the country's air power a strategic edge in the midst of a bitter border row with China in eastern Ladakh.

The fleet, comprising three single seater and two twin seater aircraft, are being inducted into the IAF as part of its Ambala-based No 17 Squadron, also known as the 'Golden Arrows'.

The 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ has many firsts to its credit; in 1955 it was equipped with the first jet fighter, the legendary De Havilland Vampire.

In September 2016, India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 Rafale jets at a cost of around Rs 59,000 crore. The purchase was made to further strengthen the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities.

The five rafale aircraft arrived in India on July 29, 2020. The second batch of four to five Rafale jets is likely to arrive by November. The ceremony, described as a "very important milestone" by an IAF spokesperson, was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, his French counterpart Florence Parly, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar.

Ten Rafale jets have been delivered to India so far and five of them stayed back in France for imparting training to IAF pilots. The delivery of all 36 aircraft is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.

In total, twelve IAF pilots and engineering crew members have received complete training on the Rafale fighter jets.

While the first squadron of the Rafale jets will be stationed at Ambala airbase, the second one will be based at Hasimara base in West Bengal.

Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be twin-seater trainers and will have almost all features of the fighter jets. According to Dassault Aviation, Rafale is a twin-jet fighter aircraft able to operate from both an aircraft carrier and a shore base. It has capabilities to carry out all combat aviation missions: air superiority and air defence, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence.