The first batch of five Rafale fighter jets has landed at Haryana's Ambala on July 29 after covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km to join the Indian Air Force fleet. The fleet, comprising three single seater and two twin seater aircraft, will be part of the No. 17 Squadron of the Air Force, also known as the ''Golden Arrows”. "Welcome home 'Golden Arrows'. Blue skies always," the Indian Air Force tweeted with a photo of the Rafales in "Arrow formation", given a ceremonial welcome by SU-30s. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier tweeted that the "birds" had entered the Indian airspace. It is India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in over two decades. A Rs 59,000 crore deal was signed on September 23, 2016 for 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. Security has been tightened near the airbase, located around 200 km from the border with Pakistan. The jets, piloted by IAF officers, took off from Merignac in southwest France and refueled midair on the way. Spectacular visuals posted by the Air Force on July 28 showed the jets refueling from a French tanker at a height of 30,000 feet
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