Putting Row Aside Rafale Jets To Be Warmly Received By Force

Amid the political row on the corruption on Rafale Jets, the Air Force is getting ready to welcome them into their folds.

The Indian Air Force is ready to welcome the new fleets and is sending a batch of pilots by the end of this year to France for training on Rafale jets.

A batch has already gone to France & the IAF is to send in their next batch at the end of the year.

This is in addition to the number of IAF teams which have already visited France to help Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, incorporate India-specific enhancements on-board the fighter aircraft.

The agreement between Indian and French governments was finalised in September 2016 for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets at an estimated cost of Rs 58,000 crore. The first batch of jets which are capable of carrying a number of lethal weapons and missiles are expected to be delivered beginning September next year.

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Dassault Aviation is believed to have already started test flights of the jets to be handed over to India and the company has been told to strictly adhere to the timeline for delivery of the aircraft.

These jets will come with various India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low-band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems among others.

According to sources, the first set of Rafale jets will be deployed in Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. The Indo-Pak border is around 220 km from there.

The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal.