The Indian Air Force will be inducting the second squadron of the Rafale fighter aircraft in mid-April, in a move to strengthen itself on the eastern front along the China border.
This squadron will be inducted at the base of the Hashimara Air Force in West Bengal.
Sources said the air force would be sending the fighter aircraft to Hashimara in May. Training fighter pilots in France is also taking place at the same time, they added.
Sources said the air force would be sending the fighter aircraft to Hashimara in May. Training fighter pilots in France is also taking place at the same time, they added.
By the time the second squadron was operational, the Indian Air Force will have more than 20 Rafale fighter jets.
Five Rafale fighter jets were inducted into the Indian Air Force at Ambala Air Force Base in September of last year.
“The induction of Rafale jets is a great and stern message for the whole world, particularly those who watch over our sovereignty. This kind of induction is really necessary for the kind of environment that has been generated at our borders, “Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said on the occasion.
The multi-purpose Rafale jets have been designed by French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation and are recognised for their air-superiority and precision strikes.
The first batch of five Rafale jets landed in India on 29 July last year, almost four years after India concluded an inter-governmental agreement with France to purchase 36 aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.
All 36 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2022.
Of the 36 Rafale aircraft, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seat, and they will have nearly all the characteristics of the fighter jets.