Pack is complete, says IAF as last of 36 rafale aircraft lands in India
NEW DELHI,DEC 15: The last of 36 Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale fighter jets from France landed in India on Thursday, completing the delivery of all the aircraft as part of the deal between the two countries. To celebrate the occasion, the IAF tweeted, “The Pack is Complete.”
India signed a deal for 36 Rafale planes and 35 of these were already delivered from France. They are stationed at Ambala, Haryana and Hasimara in West Bengal. The 36th aircraft was provided to the Indian side by France with all its spares and other parts replaced as it was being used for developmental activities.
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The first batch of Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, 2020. The IAF also started upgrading the planes to the highest standards and equipped them with all the India-specific enhancements.
The Rafale is a 4.5 generation aircraft with long range air to air and air to ground missiles along with advanced radar and electronic warfare capabilities.
The French firm Dassault Aviation is also involved in the maintenance of the aircraft, whose serviceability is over 75 per cent. The Rafale was inducted swiftly into the Indian Air Force at the peak of the conflict with China and had started operating over Ladakh within a week of its arrival in the country.
-The India Today
