New Delhi:
The primary batch of 5 Rafale multirole fighter jets will probably be formally inducted into the Indian Air Drive at 10 am in Ambala air base in Haryana, at a time when India is engaged in an escalating border row with China in jap Ladakh. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, his French counterpart Florence Parly, Chief of Defence Workers Common Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar will attend the ceremony.
“The programme will embody ceremonial unveiling of the Rafale plane, a standard sarva dharma puja, air show by Rafale and Tejas plane in addition to by the Sarang aerobatic staff,” an IAF spokesperson mentioned, describing the ceremony as a “essential milestone” within the historical past of the Indian Air Drive.
1. The Rafale jets, constructed by French aerospace main Dassault Aviation, are recognized for air-superiority and precision strikes on floor targets, making them really multirole jets.
2. “At 10.00 AM tomorrow, #Rafale plane will probably be formally inducted into @IAF_MCC on the Air Drive Station in Ambala. The plane will probably be a part of 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows. The Rafale jets are India’s first main acquisition of fighter planes in additional than 20 years,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted final evening.
3. A conventional water cannon salute will probably be given to the Rafale fleet earlier than its ceremonial induction into the 17 Squadron, IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Indranil Nandi mentioned.
4. The primary batch of 5 Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, practically 4 years after India signed an inter-governmental settlement with France to purchase 36 jets for Rs 59,000 crore.
5. The French delegation on the ceremony will embody French envoy Emmanuel Lenain, Air Common Eric Autellet, Vice Chief of French Air Drive, Chairman and Chief Govt of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier, and CEO of missile maker MBDA Eric Beranger.
6. After the ceremony, the French Defence Minister and Rajnath Singh will maintain talks in Ambala on methods to additional deepen bilateral defence and safety cooperation. 10 Rafale jets have been delivered to India to this point and 5 of them stayed again in France for coaching IAF pilots. The supply of all 36 plane is scheduled to be accomplished by the tip of 2021.
7. A second batch of four-five Rafale jets is prone to arrive in India by November. The Rafales are India’s first main procuring of fighter jets in 23 12 months after the Sukhoi-30MKI have been purchased from Russia.
8. The Rafales are able to carrying a spread of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA’s Meteor past visible vary (BVR) air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile would be the mainstay of the weapons package deal of the Rafale jets. MBDA developed the Meteor to fight frequent threats going through the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden.
9. Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will probably be fighters and 6 will probably be trainers. The coach jets will probably be twin-seater and they’ll have virtually all of the options of the fighter jets. Whereas the primary squadron of the Rafale jets will probably be stationed at Ambala air base, the second will probably be primarily based at Hasimara in West Bengal.
10. The 17 Squadron of the IAF was resurrected in September final 12 months. It was raised at Air Drive Station, Ambala on in October 1951. The 17 Squadron has many firsts to its credit score; in 1955 it was geared up with the primary jet fighter, the legendary De Havilland Vampire.