Posted ByTechViewThe Indian Air Force issued this statement after tweeting, “FEET DRY! ‘The Pack is Complete’ The last of the 36 IAF Rafales arrived in India after a brief enroute drink from a UAE Air Force tanker.”
On Thursday, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain stated he is happy to witness 36 Rafales with complete equipment after all of the ‘Rafales’ arrived on Indian territory.
Lenain stated on Twitter, “Proud to see all 36 Rafales on Indian soil and fully outfitted with India-specific improvements.”
The Indian Air Force issued this statement after tweeting, “FEET DRY! ‘The Pack is Complete’ The last of the 36 IAF Rafales arrived in India after a brief enroute drink from a UAE Air Force tanker.”
Notably, India agreed to buy 36 of these planes, 35 of which have already arrived and are based at Ambala, Haryana, and Hashimara, West Bengal.
Senior defence insiders said the 36th aircraft with RB tail number had been transferred to the Indian side by France with all its spares and other parts changed since it was being utilised for developmental purposes.
Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force has begun upgrading the planes to the highest standards and has outfitted them with all India-specific upgrades.
The Rafale is a 4.5-generation aircraft that has helped India recover control of its sub-continental airspace by providing long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, as well as superior radar and electronic warfare capabilities.
Dassault Aviation, a French company, is also involved in the maintenance of the aircraft, which has a serviceability rate of more than 75%.
At the height of the confrontation with China, the Rafale was quickly incorporated into the Indian Air Force and began flying over Ladakh within a week of its arrival.
The IAF also promptly launched and operationalized long-range Meteor air-to-air missiles and Scalp air-to-ground missiles.
The IAF also added the HAMMER missile to the Rafale’s armament since it was needed for precise assaults at lower ranges.