The second batch of the three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force, which arrived at Jamnagar airbase in Gujarat from France on Wednesday, is likely to fly to its base of operations in Ambala on Thursday, officials familiar with the events.
The planes landed at Jamnagar last night without a stopover on the way, with refueling support from Indian and French tankers.
The first batch of five Rafale aircraft out of 36 ordered by the IAF arrived at Ambala airbase on July 29 after a stopover at Al Dhafra airbase near Abu Dhabi, although a formal ceremony of induction on September 10.
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The arrival of more fighters will further boost the IAF’s ability to rapidly deploy advanced aircraft amid military tensions with China in the Ladakh theater, the officials said.
The IAF expects three to four Rafale jets to be delivered every two months, and the 36 jets are likely to join the air force’s combat fleet by the end of the year.
The planes were ordered from France in September 2016 under a government-to-government deal worth 59 billion rupees.
The Rafale fighter jets are the first imported jets to join the IAF in 23 years after the Russian Sukhoi-30 jets entered service in June 1997.
The IAF is operating the Rafale fighter jets in the Ladakh theater, where the army is on high alert to deal with any provocation from China.
IAF Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said last month that the integration of the Rafale fighter jets brought a platform armed with advanced weapons, sensors and technologies that gave the IAF an operational and technological advantage.
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