India gets 1st out of 36 Rafale jets from France

New Delhi : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday received first out of 36 Rafale Jets from the France on behalf of Indian Air Force (IAF). Speaking on the occasion, Rajnath Singh termed it as "historic" and said the move will only strengthen ties with France.

"This is a new milestone of bilateral ties," said Rajnath Singh. 

In September 2016, India had signed a pact with France of procurement of 36 Rafale Jets from the France at a cost of Rs 59,000 crores. The first batch of four jets will arrive in India by the next May.

Rajnath Singh also spoke about the positives and said that the procurement will enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force. He also thanked the French state for providing the all possible support and training the Indian Air Force pilots.

The fighters – to be armed with SCALP ground attack missiles with a range of over 300 Kms – will be first flown by the Indian Air Force pilots for at least 1500 hours as a mandatory procedure for acceptance process.

While the formal handover ceremony will take place this week, the complete package of 36 jets will come to India by September 2022.

The Rafale Jet – All you must know

The Rafale is a twin-jet fighter aircraft able to operate from both an aircraft carrier and a shore base. It is describe as a fully versatile aircraft which can carry out all combat aviation missions to achieve air superiority and air defence, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence.