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Rajnath Singh to receive first Rafale fighter aircraft in France today
At France’s Merignac air base, the Defence Minister will receive the first Rafale combat aircraft manufactured for India bearing the tail number RB-01, which are the initials of IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will officially receive the first Rafale combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force in France today, a move that will significantly enhance the country’s aerial combat capability.
The Defence Minister will accept the aircraft from the French team at the Merignac air base near Bordeaux on the occasion of Air Force Day. Singh will also meet French President Emmanuel Macron and the two leaders will discuss a wide range of issues, before leaving for Bordeaux.
The Defence Minister will perform ‘Shastra Puja’, a ritual involving the worship of weapons, before he receives the first state-of-the-art Rafale fighter jet.
Shastra Puja has been a part of Indian tradition for thousands of years. Rajput warrior king Maharana Pratap was known to perform Shastra Puja before embarking for battle against his enemies. On the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashami, in keeping with tradition, people still perform Shastra Puja in some parts of the country.
At the Merignac air base, the Defence Minister will receive the first Rafale combat aircraft manufactured for India bearing the tail number RB-01, which are the initials of IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. The new IAF chief had played a crucial role in the signing of India’s biggest ever defence deal worth above ₹60,000 crore.
Singh will also undertake a sortie on a Rafale fighter jet after receiving the first of 36 fighter jets in France. According to the plan, a French pilot will fly in the front cockpit of the fighter jet while Singh will sit in the rear seat.
“The plane would be flown by a French pilot as Indian pilots have started training on these India specific Rafales just recently,” sources in the Air Force told news agency ANI.
The Rafale fighter aircraft, which is capable of carrying an array of potent weapons and missiles, will be a force to reckon with in the Indian Air Force as well as give the Indian defence establishment an edge over China and Pakistan in aerial combat, according to defence experts.
Although the Rafale jets would be officially inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the Defence Minister’s visit; the aircraft would start arriving in India only in May 2020 after training of pilots and personnel on it.
From the Indian Air Force, newly appointed Vice Chief Air Marshal HS Arora will be with the Defence Minister while he receives the aircraft.
On October 9, Singh will address the CEOs of the French defence industry during which he is expected to urge them to participate in the ‘Make in India’ programme of the Indian government as well as the DefExpo to be held in Lucknow in February, according to ANI.
India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets. The IAF has already completed preparations, including preparing required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft to the country.
The first squadron of the Rafale aircraft will be deployed at the Ambala Air Force Station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF around 200 kilometres from the India- Pakistan border.
