Full dress rehearsal at Hindon airbase: Newly inducted Rafale fly alongside front-line fighter jets

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday conducted a full-dress rehearsal ahead of the 88th IAF day on October 8. Unlike previous years when the force used to have

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday conducted a full-dress rehearsal ahead of the 88th IAF day on October 8. Unlike previous years when the force used to have a flypast of different jets with their own squadron, this time it was a mixed display of frontline fighter aircraft, including the newly inducted Rafale jets.

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“There was a change in the flypast to make it more interesting and to better showcase the new assets and also to show how the IAF has progressed over the years,” said an IAF officer. “This time, it was mixed, with the theme of ‘innovate, integrate and intimidate’. Since we are talking about innovation and integration, all different types of aircraft were there and working in synergy. This is the capability which few air forces in the world have.”

The French made Rafale was inducted on September 10, at a time when India was facing off at the Ladakh border with China. The initial batch of five aircraft were inducted into IAF’s Ambala-based number 17 squadron, which is also known as ‘Golden Arrows.’

One of the Rafale jets was also lined up at the Hindon airbase airfield along with other frontline aircraft like Sukhoi-30 MKI, Light Combat Aircraft – Tejas, Mirage-2000, Mig-29 and Jaguar among others.

The first part of the rehearsal began with IAF paratroopers jumping down with colourful parachutes, the scintillating parade by the air warriors, and flypast by vintage and transport aircraft.

Apart from the frontline fighter jets, IAF’s helicopter fleet having Mi17-V5 choppers, Dhruv - advanced light helicopters, Chinook - heavy lift choppers, Mi-35 and Apache attack helicopters also made their mark during the flypast.

The flypast also saw participation by heavy lift C-17 Globemasters, Dornier and Dakota aircraft. It concluded with flying display by Suryakiran aerobatic team and helicopters of the Sarang aerobatic team.

The spectators at the ground were left enthralled as Rafale, Tejas and Sukhio-30 MKI jets made low-flying breath-taking manoeuvres and deployed flares to attract their attention.

“We came here to witness the Rafale which is highly advanced and people were waiting it to get inducted to the IAF. I clicked selfies and pictures with friends by the side of the Rafale jet displayed at the Hindon airbase ground. The Rafale was indeed a major attraction for spectators present on the occasion and everyone wanted to have a picture with it,” said Vijay Kumar, a college student who stays at Rajendra Nagar.

The IAF also released a promo video and said that it was ready to ‘Innovate, Integrate and Intimidate.’

“As we enter our 89th year, I would like to complement all air warriors for a job well done in what has turned out to be an extremely challenging year. The IAF is in midst of transformation and we are changing the way we fight, train and maintain. Our intense focus on integration, both within the service and with our sister services, needs to continue,” the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, said in his video message.

The flying display on Tuesday included Rafale flying along with Sukhoi-30 MKIs and also in formation with other frontline aircraft which took off from their respective airbases to reach above the Hindon airbase on Tuesday morning.

The rifle drill sequence which is liked by all, however, was not part of the full dress rehearsal this time. “Since the flying display this time was much more elaborate and given the timeframe, the rifle drill was not there this time,” said an IAF officer.