There will be no delay in the supply of aircraft Rafale to India: France

The defence Minister, Rajnath Singh received the first Rafale jet on a air base in France on the 8th of October.

There will be no delay in the delivery of 36 aircraft Rafale to India as the timeline is finalized for the supply of combat aircraft is going to be strictly respected, French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said.

France is reeling under the swelling of the cases of infection by the coronavirus, and there are fears that the delivery of the aircraft Rafale could be delayed due to the pandemic. More than 1,45,000 people were infected by the virus, while the number of dead stood at 28,330.

However, Lenain, stated that the original timeline for the delivery of the jets will be respected.

“In the contract on the delivery schedule of the aircraft Rafale has been perfectly respected until now, and, in fact, a new aircraft was handed over to the Indian Air Force in the end of April in France, in accordance with the contract,” Lenain told PTI.

The defence Minister, Rajnath Singh received the first Rafale jet on a air base in France on the 8th of October.

“We are helping the Indian Air Force in the organization for the ferry flight of their first four French of France to India, as soon as possible. So there is no reason today to speculate that the schedule is not maintained,” the envoy said.

India signed an intergovernmental agreement with France in September of 2016 for the acquisition of 36 fighter aircraft Rafale, at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.

The IAF has been maintaining that the Rafale jets would significantly enhance its combat capability.

The aircraft is capable of carrying a wide range of powerful weapons. European missile manufacturer MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, and Scalp cruise missiles will be the mainstay of the weapons in the package of the aircraft Rafale.

Meteor is the next generation of BVR air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed to revolutionize the air-to-air combat. The weapon has been developed by MBDA to combat the common threats facing the united kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden.

Guided by an advanced active radar seeker, Meteor provides all weather capability to engage a wide variety of targets from fast jets to small uav and cruise missiles.

In addition to the missile systems, aircraft Rafale will come with several India-specific modifications, including the Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, the low band jammers, 10 hours of flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems.

The FIA has already completed preparations, including the preparation of the necessary infrastructure and the training of pilots, to give the welcome to the combat planes.

The first squadron of the aircraft will be stationed at Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. The Indo-Pak border is around 220 km from there.

The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed in Hasimara base in West Bengal.

The IAF spent around Rs 400 crore to develop the necessary infrastructure such as shelters, hangars and maintenance facilities at the two bases.

Of the 36 aircraft Rafale, 30 fighter aircraft and six coaches. The coach of the jets will be a two-seater with almost all the features of the combat aircraft.

The Congress raised questions about the transaction, including the prices of the planes, and the alleged acts of corruption, but the government has rejected the accusations.

📣 The Indian Express is now in the Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay up to date with the latest news

For latest India News, download Indian Express of the Application.