Indian Air Force Gets Rafale

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh ceremonially received the first Rafale Fighter Aircraft in France on Tuesday, 3 years after India singed an agreement with France to procure 36 such fighter jets. The Rafale fighter aircraft which entered service with the French Navy in the year 2004 will come to India with certain modifications for Indian Air Force. It has been categorized as 4.5 Generation aircraft for its radar evading strength profile. The Rafale aircraft is expected to be a game changer because most of the air crafts are either 3rd or 4th generation aircraft. India will be fourth country after France, Egypt and Qatar to fly the Rafale.

Indian Air Force Gets Rafale: India ordered 36 Rafale fighter jets from France in September 2016. The deal worth Rs. 59,000 crore. All Rafale jets are expected to arrive in India by September 2022. Indian Air Force has completed preparations to welcome Rafale. First squadron of Rafale to be deployed at Ambala Air Base. Second squadron to be stationed at Hasimara Base in West Bengal. Rafale jets will come with various India-specific modifications.

Specifications of Rafale: Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low band jammers, 10-hours flight data recording, infra-red search, tracking systems etc. Rafale can carry out all combat aviation missions to achieve air superiority and air defence, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes, nuclear deterrence. The twin-jet fighter aircraft can operate from aircraft carrier and shore base.

Salient Features of Rafale: Rafale is twin-jet, canard-delta wing, multi role combat aircraft. It is designed and built by Dassault Aviation. It can carry wide range of weapons, capable of many shorts and long range missions. The aircraft has been fitted with onboard oxygen generation system. It carries out both air-to-air attacks, air-to-ground strikes  and interceptions in same sortie. It can also perform several actions simultaneously. Helmet mounted sights and targeting system give lightening quick ability to shoot off weapons. It has ability to take off from high attitude airbase on "cold start". It has radar warning receiver to identify hostile tracking system. 

Importance of Rafale in Indian Air Force: The Rafale fighter aircraft will enhance operational capability of Indian Air Force. Rafale aircraft has METEOR weapon which has visual range of air-to-air missile. It can take out enemy's aircraft over 100 km. Another one SCALP, a precision-long range ground attack missile. It can take out target with extreme accuracy. MICA, air-to-air BUR interception, combat & self-defence missiles. MICA can be used within visual range and beyond visual range.