Watch: Five Rafale jets take off for India, induction likely on Wednesday

Five Rafale jets took off from the Merignac airbase in Bordeaux, France for India. The first batch of Rafale jets will join the growing Indian fleet of aircraft after they land in India on Wednesday. Indian ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf met and interacted with the IAF pilots who will be flying the jets to India. They will cover a distance of about 7000 km with mid air-to-air refuelling and a single halt in UAE. The Indian ambassador also thanked Dassault for timely delivery of the aircraft. He also expressed gratitude to the French government and the Air Force and said that this was a sign of the strong strategic partnership between India and France. The induction is likely to happen on Wednesday at the Air Force Base Ambala. The IAF had earlier said that after arrival, efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest. The Air Force has readied the required infrastructure to welcome the jets in its line-up. India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets. Watch the full video for all the details.