3 Rafale fighters landing next week

March 25, 2021 10:24

The Indian Air Force is set to acquire more teeth with three more Rafale omni-role fighters on their way to Ambala early next week with another nine slated to land by mid-April from France.

The Hasimara forward base in north Bengal will start operations with five fighters next month, people aware of the matter said.

According to French and Indian diplomats, an IAF team has already reached Merignac airbase in Bordeaux to finalise the date for ferrying three Rafales to Ambala. The expected date is either March 30 or 31 with the fighters to be refuelled mid-air by French refuellers as per availability with a stop-over at Al Dhafra airbase in the UAE.

India ordered 36 planes from France (the equivalent of two squadrons with 18 jets each) in September 2016 for ₹59,000 crore under a government-to-government deal. The IAFs Ambala-based Golden Arrows Squadron has already inducted 11 Rafale jets between July 2020 and January 2021. These fighter jets have been operated in the Ladakh theatre where the military is on high alert amid a border standoff with China since early May 2020.

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