By Sangeeta Saxena

New Delhi. 26 July 2020.  The wait is finally getting over and the Indian Air Force is all set to induct the first batch of five Rafale fighter jets into its inventory. Rafale is likely to arrive in India by end July 2020. The aircraft will be inducted at Air Force Station Ambala on 29 July subject to weather.

IAF aircrew and ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly advanced weapons systems and are fully operational now. Post arrival, efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest.

It may be recalled that the Rafale was officially handed over to the Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at France on 8th October 2019  IAF will receive all the 36 Rafales by April 2022.

Rafale literally meaning “gust of wind” and “burst of fire” in a more military sense. It is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. The Rafale is referred to as an “omnirole” aircraft by Dassault.

The Rafale will be an envy of all the airforces with its MICA, Scalp and Meteor missiles made by French missile major MBDA. It will  also be fitted with AESA radar, SPECTRA Electronic Warfare System and IRST System. The Rafale can carry up to 9.5 tons of payload (21,000 lbs). To support  missions at extended ranges the fighter also carries three 524 gallons (2,000 litre) fuel tanks weighing additional 6.7 tons (14,700 lbs) that will top up the fighter’s internal fuel capacity of 4.7 t (10,300 lbs). These fuel tanks can also be used for ‘buddy refuelling’.