Mumbai: In a further boost to the strike capability of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the seventh batch of three more Rafale fighter jets reached India after flying non-stop for a distance of about 8,000 km from France.
The new batch of aircraft will be part of the second squadron of IAF’s Rafale jets.
The aircraft was provided mid-air refueling by the Air Force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Three Rafale aircraft arrived in India a short while ago, after a direct ferry from #IstresAirBase, France. IAF deeply appreciates the support by UAE Air Force for in-flight refueling during the non-stop ferry,” the IAF said in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1417846114296995840?s=19
With the arrival of the new batch, the number of Rafale jets with the Indian Air Force increased to 24.
The new squadron of Rafale jets will be based at Hasimara airbase in West Bengal.
The first Rafale Squadron is based at Ambala Air Force Station. A squadron consists of about 18 aircraft.
India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
The first consignment of five Rafale aircraft reached India on July 29 last year. India is expected to get more Rafale jets from France in the next few months.
The Rafale jets, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are India’s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.
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