Second batch of three Rafale fighter jets arrive in India

The second batch of three Rafale Fighter Jets landed at the Jamnagar Air Base in Gujarat, India on November 4, 2020 . The fighter jets had taken off from Istres airbase in France and flown non-stop for over eight hours.

The Rafale fighter aircraft covered a distance of over 3700 nautical miles with three in-flight refuellings. The aircraft had taken off from France on Wednesday morning and arrived in India by evening 8:14 pm. The jets are expected to reach Ambala airbase after a day's break at Jamnagar.

The second batch of three Rafale aircraft got airborne from Istres airbase in France and flew for over eight hours before landing at an IAF base. They covered a distance of over 3700 nautical miles with three in-flight refuellings. pic.twitter.com/gHEixnMh2B

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) November 4, 2020

Second batch of IAF #Rafale aircraft arrived in India at 8:14 pm on 04 Nov 20 after flying non-stop from France.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) November 4, 2020

Raksha Mantri Rajnat Singh congratulated the Indian Air Force for successfully accomplishing the highly complex mission in a professional and safe manner. 

The IAF pilots brought home the second batch of three Rafale aircraft today after flying non-stop from France in a ferry that lasted for over 8 hours.

RM @rajnathsingh congratulates @IAF_MCC for successfully accomplishing a highly complex mission in a professional & safe manner pic.twitter.com/WgoI0vhjRo

— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) November 4, 2020

Significance

The arrival of the three jets takes the total strength of Rafale fighter jets in the Indian Air Force to eight, as the first batch comprising five Rafale aircraft had arrived in India in July 2020. This would provide a major boost to the Indian Air Force's air power and further enhance the IAF's capacity to take on threats emerging from China, especially along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. 

While the first batch of Rafale fighter jets have already been inducted into the Indian Air Force in September and carried out sorties as well in the Ladakh sector, the second batch will also be operationalised at the earliest. The Indian Air Force is expected to receive three to four Rafale fighter jets every two months. 

Key Highlights

• The Rafale fighter aircraft will provide the Indian Air Force with unmatched air superiority in the region with advanced avionics and weapons including HAMMER, Meteor and Scalp missiles. The fighter jets are also capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

• The induction of the fighter jets in the IAF has given India an edge over Pakistan and China, as the jets are armed with the most advanced air-to-air missiles that have a range of up to 150 kilometers.

• The meteor missiles can chase down and destroy agile hostile fighters at even the furthest of ranges that are beyond vision and has a no-escape zone many times greater than any other air-to-air missile.

• Neither China nor Pakistan have a missile to counter the weapon power of the meteor missiles. Besides these, Rafale fighters will also be armed with Scalp cruise air-to-surface missiles that have a range of over 300 kilometers.

Background

India had signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with France in September 2016 to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets in fly-away condition for Rs 59,000 crore. The Rafale fighter aircraft will be based out of the Ambala and Hasimara airbases.