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Indian Air Force to officially induct Rafale combat jets in September

Last Updated 29 August 2020, 03:20 IST

Seven weeks after they landed at Ambala, the Rafale combat jets would be officially inducted into the Indian Air Force in the second week of September in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly.

While the first five came on July 29, the second set of four French origin fighter aircraft would arrive in October.

In the last few weeks, IAF pilot flew Rafales extensively all over northern India including areas in Ladakh.

The induction ceremony may take place on September 10 after Singh's return from Moscow where he would attend the meeting of Defence ministers of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The date, however, is yet to be decided.

In September 2016, India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets (two squadrons) at a cost of nearly Rs 59,000 crore.

Based at Ambala, the first squadron of Rafale will be flown by the IAF's 17 Golden Arrows Squadron. The second squadron will be based at Hashimara in West Bengal.

"Compared to the existing IAF combat platforms, the Rafale not only has a far superior weapon package but also the ability to see the enemy way ahead and engaging with multiple targets at the same time," explained an official.

As a result, the enemy needs to deploy multiple fighters to take on a single Rafale jet, effectively lowering its strength in a war-like scenario.

Rohtang Tunnel

While Rafale would boost India's airpower, another strategically important project will be realised in September when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the long-awaited Rohtang tunnel that will give better connectivity to the forces to access far-flung areas in western Himalayas and areas close to the northern border.

Also, the 9 km long tunnel would provide all-weather connectivity to Lahaul and Spiti regions of Himachal Pradesh besides improving the Manali-Leh connectivity.

For the residents of Lahaul and Spiti valley, it's a boon as it would convert a five-hour-long back-breaking bus ride into ten minutes of smooth drive. Also, they won't be cut-off to the rest of the world in the winter months.

The strategically important tunnel was conceptualised in the 1990s but the construction began about a decade ago.

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(Published 28 August 2020, 16:08 IST)

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