Ambala: Five French-made multirole Rafale jets were inducted into the Indian Air Force on Thursday at a glittering ceremony here, in a major boost to the country’s air power at a time it is engaged in an escalating border dispute with China.
Using the occasion to send a signal to China over the border row in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the induction was crucial considering the atmosphere being created along the frontier and called it is a “big and stern” message to those eyeing India’s sovereignty.
Singh said Rafale is considered one of the best combat aircraft globally and the deal to procure the jets was a “game changer” for India’s national security.
A traditional ‘sarva dharma puja’, a ceremonial water cannon salute to the Rafale fighter jets and an aerial drill featuring breathtaking manoeuvres by the aircraft marked their induction into the IAF’s ‘Golden Arrows’ squadron at the Ambala Air Force station.
“The induction of Rafale jets is a big and stern message to the entire world, especially to those eyeing our sovereignty. This kind of induction is very important for the kind of atmosphere that has been created on our borders,” the defence minister said.
“We understand very well that with changing times, we also have to prepare ourselves. I feel proud to say that our national security has been a big priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Besides Singh, the nearly two-hour ceremony was attended by French Defence Minister Florence Parly, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria and top executives of major French defence firms involved in the Rafale deal.
Bhadauria said the induction of Rafale jets could not have happened at a more opportune time, considering the security scenario.
He said the Golden Arrows squadron has already flown the aircraft and undergone intense integrated training with other combat fleets, including firing advanced weapons.
So this formal induction today also marks the operational induction of this aircraft into the IAF. We are good to go and deliver, he said.
In her address, Parly said France is fully committed to integrate the Indian defence industry with France’s global military supply chain, and called Rafale’s induction into the IAF a new chapter in bilateral defence ties.
She said India will have an edge over the entire region to defend its people with the induction of the fighter jets.
At the ceremony, a fleet of indigenously-developed combat jets Tejas, and the Sarang helicopter aerobatic team too displayed a range of aerial manoeuvres.
In a tweet, the IAF welcomed the “new bird” into its arsenal.
The multirole Rafale jets, built by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are known for air-superiority and precision strikes.
The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of them at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.
The French delegation at the ceremony included French envoy Emmanuel Lenain, Air General Eric Autellet, Vice Chief of French Air Force, Chairman and Chief Executive of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier, and CEO of missile maker MBDA Eric Beranger.
“We are very proud to be equipping the IAF’s Rafales with a full comprehensive weapon package that includes the game-changing Meteor and MICA air-to-air missiles and the SCALP cruise missile to conduct deep strike missions in a complex and severe environment, Beranger said later.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
