Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will formally induct Rafale fighter jets at a function at the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Ambala Airport in Haryana on 10 September. French Defense Minister Florence Paly will also be invited for this. Defense sources told news agency ANI that the ceremony would be held after the defense minister’s withdrawal from Russia. Rajnath Singh is scheduled to attend a meeting of Defense Ministers of SCO member countries in Russia from September 4 to 6.
The source said, “The ceremony to formally induct the Rafale aircraft into the Air Force will be held on September 10. To mark the strategic friendship between India and France, the Defense Minister of France also received an invitation to attend the event.” is sending.”
Five Rafale fighter aircraft reached India from France on 29 July and started extensive training in the country within 24 hours. These French fighter aircraft are part of the Air Force’s 17 Golden Arrow Squadron. Fighter aircraft have already flown into the Ladakh region. They are familiar with the area on which they have to fly to different parts of the country. Of the five Rafales that have reached the country, three are with one seat and two have two seats.
Rafael has the ability to hit air to air, air to ground. The Rafale-mounted Hammer missile is expected to give the Indian Air Force an edge over its traditional adversaries, China and Pakistan, for its long-range capability in the South Asian skies.
India has contracted to buy 36 Rafale from France at a cost of around Rs 60,000 crore, most of which has already been paid to French firm Dassault Aviation.
Manohar Parrikar signed the deal in 2016 as the Defense Minister. In 2018-2019, the then Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was instrumental in the opposition responding to allegations of corruption in the deal. When Rajnath Singh became the defense minister, he went to France to take the first Rafale for India in October 2019 on the occasion of Dussehra. During this time he worshiped with traditional rituals and later also flew in the plane.
Let us tell you that in the next 10-12 years India needs more than 300 different types of fighter aircraft, which are planned to meet both Indian and foreign sources.
