The first batch of five game-changing Rafale fighter jets have finally headed home from France on Monday and will arrive in Ambala Air Force station, India on Wednesday.
The fighter jets, which took off from the Merignac airbase in France's Bordeaux on Monday, will halt at a French airbase in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday. The aircraft will be refueled by French Air Force tanker aircraft on their way to an airbase in the UAE before leaving for India. The fighters will then take off again for India to reach Ambala on the morning of July 29.
The five Rafale jets, which took to the skies, include the trainer RB-003 -- RB for Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, the Chief of Air Staff.
“These five Rafale jets are extremely swift, versatile, and very deadly aircraft, they're both beauty & beast. I would like to thank Dassault for delivering aircraft on time and French Government & French Air Force for all the support,” said Jawed Ashraf, Indian Ambassador to France.
In a statement, the Indian embassy in France said, “Delivery of ten aircraft has been completed on schedule. Five will stay back in France for training Mission. The delivery of all thirty-six aircraft will be completed on schedule by the end of 2021.”
Official sources said the Rafale jets are likely to be deployed in the Ladakh sector as part of the IAF's efforts to enhance its operational capabilities along the Line of Actual Control with China in view of the border row with the country.
Officials said the arrival of the Rafale jets will further strengthen the IAF's combat capabilities.
India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. The jets will be equipped with European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp cruise missile, and Hammer.
Sources said that India was left with no other option in the emerging emergency situation other than opting for HAMMER missiles, which are already compatible with and integrated into the Rafale jets; thus ignoring integration of SPICE 2000 bombs in the fighter jets, as of now.
Emphasizing the emergency situation India is facing, Indian officials on the condition of anonymity said that Rafale jets with the HAMMER missiles would be put into operation without delay. The sources said that a team of ground support staff and pilots have undergone training for the last one-and-half years in France.
The Indian Air Force has stated: "IAF aircrew and ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including in its highly advanced weapons systems and are fully operational now. Post the arrival, efforts will focus on the operationalization of the aircraft at the earliest."
It was pointed out that the Rafale jets with HAMMER missiles carried out airstrikes in Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
The authorities, however, have stressed that it does not mean that India-specific changes cannot be done or SPICE bombs have been replaced by HAMMER.
Both munitions have different capabilities.
HAMMER -- Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range -- is a medium-range modular air-to-ground weapon designed for the French Air Force and the Navy. It a rocket- enabled precision missile with a range of 60 km perfectly suited for high altitude.
SPICE bomb, which stands for Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective, is equipped with a family of weapons used for air-to-ground operations. India has been using SPICE 2000 bombs since 2015 on Mirage-2000.
Apart from the HAMMER missiles, the Rafale aircraft will also be armed with beyond- visual range missiles like Meteor, SCALP, and MICA, increasing their ability to take on incoming targets from a distance.
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A senior Indian Air Force officer said that Rafale fighter jets would be a major force multiplier. "There would always be a fear factor within the minds of the enemies," said the officer, adding that even one Indian Rafale fighter can thwart the enemy's plans.
The Meteor is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile with a range of 150 km plus while SCALP is a long-range cruise missile with a range of 200 km that can be launched from the aircraft for deep strikes to hit fixed and stationary targets in land or in waters.
MICA missiles can be used both for visual and beyond-range air-to-air interception and air-to-ground strikes.
The first batch of five Rafale jets will be inducted into the IAF on July 29 at the Ambala Air Force Station, subject to weather conditions, IAF has said. The final induction ceremony will take place in the second half of August.
(With Inputs from IANS)