Five Rafale fighter aircraft will arrive in India on Wednesday

Last updated Jul 28, 2020

New Delhi: At least five Rafale fighter aircraft will take off from Merignac in France Monday to arrive in India Wednesday and, if required, these aircraft can also be operationally deployed within a week amid the India-China standoff in Ladakh.

The new Rafales fly out of France today to join the growing Indian fleet of aircraft: Indian Embassy in France pic.twitter.com/uAbcGNlRQk
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2020

According to the defence and security establishment, a total of 12 Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots have been fully trained on the fighter aircraft, which is considered a game-changer in the region with its unmatched fire power. Several other pilots are completing their training in France — the contract stipulates that a total of 36 pilots will be trained by French authorities, including those who will undergo training in India.

According to the Indian Air Force (IAF) the five aircraft will land Wednesday on 29 June.According to the contract signed in September 2016, 12 aircraft are supposed to be delivered every year. French defence major Dassault Aviation, which is manufacturing the Rafale jets, had since October last year handed over a total of nine aircraft to the IAF. The 10th is undergoing acceptance trials by IAF pilots in France.