Indian media is claiming an early delivery of French-made multirole fighter jets. BJP led government had signed the deal with French aircraft maker Dassault for 36 Rafale jets to meet emergency requirements of Indian Airforce. This deal worth over Rs. 60,000 crores became controversial after the blames of corruption were put by Indian opposition.
Indian media says Dassault has speeded up the delivery on a special request by India. It seems that this is part of Indian army preparations against China after the deadly Galwan valley clash in which around 20 Indian soldiers were killed and many injured by Chinese soldiers.
Reports of early delivery surfaced on Monday. The report says Indian officials are hoping to get six Rafales by end of July. Fitted with long-range missiles and state of the art technology these fighter jets will act as high energy doses to Indian air force which is still using 40,60-year-old equipment and aircraft. Long-range missiles will increase IAF ability in BVR capacity.
According to reports Six Rafale fighter planes are likely to land at their home base in Ambala on July 27, instead of four that were previously planned to be delivered.
“We are aware that around 10 Rafale jets are ready at aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation’s Merignac facility. Preparations are on to fly six Rafale jets to India in July-end with a stopover at Al Dhafra airbase near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The jets will be flown by Indian pilots,” said the second person cited above, also speaking on the condition of anonymity.
All the 10 fighters are not being delivered in the first batch as some jets are needed in France to train IAF crews, he said. \”The French air force will refuel the Indian fighters using its Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft on their way to Al Dhafra from where aerial refueling support is expected to be provided by the IAF’s Russian IL-78 refuellers, the second person said.
Your trusted source for insightful journalism. Stay informed with our compelling coverage of global affairs, business, technology, and more.
Add a Comment