First Batch Of Five Rafale Jets Reach UAE From France, To Land In India On July 29

The first batch of five Rafale jets flew out of France on July 27 and will arrive in India on July 29. The fighter jets will officially be inducted and join the Indian Air Force fleet in Haryana's Ambala. The fighter jets, built by French aviation firm Dassault, took off from the Merignac airbase in southern France's Bordeaux and landed safely at Al Dhafra airbase in the UAE after a sortie of more than seven hours. The five aircraft will be the first tranche of the 36 planes bought by India from France in a Rs 59,000-crore inter-governmental deal in 2016. Twelve IAF pilots & engineering crew members are fully trained on the Rafale fighter jets. Rafale aircraft will cover a distance of nearly 7,000 km from France to India with air-to-air refuelling and had a single stop at the French airbase in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Indian ambassador to France, Jawed Ashraf, interacted with the Indian pilots before they took off from France. Rafale fighter jets are capable of carrying a range of highly effective weapons, including the Meteor air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile. In June, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with his French counterpart Florence Parly, who assured the delivery of the first batch of planes would take place as scheduled despite the COVID-19 pandemic.