On October 8, 2019, Indian Air Force added Rafale jets to its fleet. The first Rafale aircraft was handed over to Rajnath Singhji, the union minister for defence, who attended the handover ceremony with his French counterpart Florence Parly at Dassault Aviation facility in Merignac, France. 

In 2016, India entered into an inter-governmental agreement with France for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets. These jets have the ability to carry various potent weapons and missiles. The Indian Air Force has planned to station the first squadron of the aircraft at Ambala air force station. The second batch of these jets will be stationed at the Hasimara base in West Bengal.

At the outset, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to Narendra Modiji, his entire cabinet, and the Indian Air Force on this momentous occasion. It was indeed a historic moment for India as the induction of these aircrafts is set to be a game changer for India.

What is special about Rafale jets?

Rafale jets are multirole fighter aircraft which are designed and built by the French aircraft manufacturer, Dassault Aviation.The present fleet of fighter jets owned by the Indian Air Force consists of Sukhois, MIGs and Tejas. Rafale has several unique features which sets it apart from the other fighter jets. For starters, the ability of Rafale jet to cruise for a certain amount of time over a small region is 1.5 times higher than the Sukhos. Rafale also boasts of a very high flying range which is between 780-1055 kms. These jets are capable of doing 5 sorties every day whereas only 3 sorties can be undertaken by Sukhois.  

The special features of this jet will give India an edge over all its enemies. The specialized weapons package system of Rafale jet is superior compared to all the other weapon systems used by our neighbouring countries. These jets can also carry air-to-ground SCALP missile that can take down any target with ease. The jet has a precision long-range ground attack missile. The accuracy of hitting the targets using this jet is very high. These jets are able to take down any other aircraft at a range of over 100 kms and have a no escape zone of over 60 km.

What do Rafale jets mean for India?

Rafale jets have been customized for India and have been programmed with feature which will enhance the combat capabilities of our air force. The special features include radar warning receivers, low band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search, tracking systems , helmet mounted sights & targeting system which will help the pilots shoot off missiles at a quick speed. These jets also have a towed decoy system which is useful to prevent incoming missile attacks.

With these jets in our arsenal, we certainly have an advantage over our adversaries especially in the terrorist-strike prone regions. At the same time, the import of these jets can also help to develop direct and indirect employment opportunities in India, as part of the structural assembly work is likely to take place in India. I would like to note here that in the past, Modiji has indicated that he wants to put a stop to India’s status as the world’s number one defence importer. Modiji wants to ensure that 70 percent of hardware is manufactured domestically and the assembly work of Rafale jets seems to be a step in that direction.

As per the contract with France, India will also receive latest weapons like the Meteor and SCALP missiles which will give it an advantage over neighbouring countries. Experts are of the opinion that induction of Rafale jets will help the Indian Air Force make a technological leap in terms of aircraft, missiles and radar.

 Rafale jets will enhance India’s airspace superiority in the South Asian region. Given the state-of-the-art feature, specially tailored for Indian Air Force, Rafale will undoubtedly prove to be one of the best fighters in our fleet and give our air force a competitive advantage. Over the last few years, air strikes have been a major component of India’s defence strategy to fight terrorism and attacks from other countries. With the advanced jet like Rafale, India has surely entered an elite club of sovereigns which have the ultra-modern defence capabilities. By deciding to go ahead with the purchase of Rafale jets, Modiji has ensured that the Air Staff Qualitative Requirements of the Indian Air Force specified for Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft in 2007 are full met.

My best wishes to the Indian Air Forces for their journey ahead with Rafale jets.