New Delhi: Indian Air Force (IAF) has sent a team of experts led by the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Projects) to review the progress of the project and preparing to receive the second lot of Rafale combat aircraft built by the French company Dassault Aviation by next month. India received the first batch of five Rafale aircraft on July 29 which were inducted to the 17 Squadron at the Ambala Air Base on September 10. India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of these aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. Now IAF is preparing to welcome the second lot of the combat aircraft manufactured by the French company Dassault Aviation by November.
Rafale is a 4.5 generation aircraft and has the latest weapons, superior sensors, and fully integrated architecture. It is an Omni-role aircraft which means it can carry out at least four missions in one sortie. The fighter aircraft have HAMMER missiles. It will also be armed with beyond visual range missiles like Meteor, SCALP, and MICA, increasing their ability to take on incoming targets from a distance. Following the induction of the first batch, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had called the high-profile Rafale deal “a game-changer”. “I am confident that our air force has acquired a technological edge with Rafale,” the Defence Minister had said.
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