Rafael’s fifth shipment arrived from France to India, decided 8,000 km nonstop journey
Another consignment of Rafale fighter aircraft from France has reached India. Rafale’s fifth batch has four aircraft. Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria dispatched it from France.
The fifth consignment of Rafale fighter jets has reached India from France. There are four Rafale fighter aircraft in this consignment. The consignment was dispatched by Air Force Chief RKS Bhadoria on Wednesday morning from France’s Merignac-Bordu Airbase to India. According to the Air Force, these four aircraft have reached India by flying 8000 kilometers non-stop. According to the information, these aircraft have reached the Jamnagar airbase of Gujarat.
The Air Force issued a statement that during the flight from France, mid-air French and UAE fuel tankers (aircraft) also refueled Rafale. Let us know that the Chief of Air Force is on an official visit to France these days (19–23 April). In France, the Air Chief Marshal met the Chief of the French Air Force and met the Indian pilots and engineering crew who were training there.
Hashimara will be deployed
The second squadron of Rafale fighter jets will be stationed at Hashimara in West Bengal amidst the ongoing escalation from China on the LAC. The Hashimara Main Operating Base very close to the China-Bhutan Tri-Junction will be ready in April. According to the information, by next month, India is going to get the next consignment of Rafale fighter jets from France. There are about half a dozen Rafale fighter jets in this consignment and all these will be deployed at the Hashimara base.
Let us tell you that India has so far received 11 Rafale fighters from France. All these 11 fighter jets have been deployed at the Golden Arrow Squadron (17 Squadron) of the Indian Air Force at Ambala. The Golden Arrow Squadron stationed at Ambala is the responsibility of both the fronts of East Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control, ie LAC (China Border) and LOC adjacent to Pakistan. Recently, India was also deployed by the Rafale fighter jets at the front-line airbase of Ladakh when the LAC adjacent to eastern Ladakh was running from India to China, but the responsibility of Rafale fighter jets stationed in Hashimara from Sikkim LAC adjacent to Arunachal Pradesh will be there.
Hashimara Base is very close to the disputed Doklam area where in the year 2017 there was a 75-day long confrontation between the forces of India and China. However, not much information has been shared about the infrastructure and new runway for Rafale at Hashimara base yet. It is worth mentioning that about 250 crore rupees were spent on deploying Rafale’s squadron in Ambala. Even in September last year, about 42 lakh rupees were spent on Rafael joining the Air Force in Ambala. India had signed 36 Rafale fighter jets under the Inter-Government Agreement (IGA) from France in the year 2016. Out of these 36 aircraft, 11 consignments have reached India.
