With stand-off continuing at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India’s operational readiness will get a boost with the arrival of the second batch of three to four more Rafale fighter jets in early November. The first batch of five jets, which joined the IAF in September, is now flying regular sorties along the border in Ladakh as part of the country’s overall preparedness to meet any challenge from China.
The induction of more Rafale jets will enhance the IAF’s overall readiness as it has already deployed all its frontline jets, including the SU-30s, MIG-29s and Jaguars, at critical forward bases stretching from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal in the east.
The new arrivals will get operationalised within a few days for active duty. They will join the current lot of Rafales at the Ambala airbase.
In a related development, an IAF team, led by Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Projects) Air Vice Marshal N Tiwari, is in France now reviewing the Rafale project as part of the annual routine meeting.
At least, 10 to 12 IAF pilots are now undergoing training in France on the Rafale medium multi-role fighter aircraft, they said adding the training schedule will end by March next year.
As per the overall plan, the IAF will have two squadrons (one squadron has 18 jets) of Rafales based at Ambala in north India and Hashimara in West Bengal in the east.
Given the reach and capabilities of the Dassault manufactured fighter jet, the Rafale will guard the LAC and Line of Control (LOC) in the north and west facing China and Pakistan and China the east.
India and France inked a Government to Government deal for 36 Rafale jets in September 2016 at a price of 7.8 billion Euros. The entire fleet of 36 jets is expected to join the IAF by next year end.
The Rafale jets are the first to be inducted into the IAF after more than 24 years. The SU-30s manufactured by Russia were inducted in 1997.
In his annual Press conference earlier this month, IAF chief RKS Bhadauria had said the integration of Rafale fighter jets brought in a platform armed with advanced weapons, sensors and technologies that gave the IAF an operational and technological edge. “Combined with upgraded operational capabilities of our current fighter fleet, it gives us the ability to shoot first and strike deep and hard, even in contested airspace,” the IAF chief said.
The French built twin-engine jets have at least 13 India specific enhancements. They include a helmet-mounted sight, radar warning receivers, flight data recorders with storage for 10 hours of data, infrared search and track systems, jammers, cold engine start capability to operate from high-altitude bases and towed decoys to ward off incoming missiles.
The modern jet is capable of carrying out a variety of missions like gound and sea attack, air defence and air superiority, reconnaissance and nuclear strike deterrence. It can carry almost 10 tonnes of weapons.