Rafale Jets Induction Ceremony LIVE: Rajnath Singh, French Counterpart Attend 'Sarva Dharma Puja' at Ambala Airbase

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of the Armed Forces of France Florence Parly, witness the traditional 'Sarva Dharma Puja' at the Rafale induction ceremony, at Ambala airbase. (Photo: ANI)

As The Indian Air Force formally inducts the Rafale aircraft on Thursday into the 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’, here's a look at the Ambala-based squadron that will fly these fighter jets. The 17 Squadron has many firsts to its credit; in 1955 it was equipped with the first jet fighter, the legendary De Havilland Vampire. The Golden Arrows has also operated a range of aircrafts such as Harvard- II B from 1951 to 1955. Between 1955 to 1957, it flew the De Havilland Vampire. It operated the Hawker Hunter from 1957-1975 and MIG-21 from 1975-2016.

The new fleet will be part of the 17 Squadron of the IAF which was resurrected on September 10 last year. The squadron was originally raised at Air Force Station, Ambala on Oct 1 1951. The 17 Squadron has many firsts to its credit; in 1955 it was equipped with the first jet fighter, the legendary De Havilland Vampire.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh & Minister of the Armed Forces of France Florence Parly Reach Indian Air Force Station, Ambala | Haryana: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of the Armed Forces of France Florence Parly arrive at the Indian Air Force Station, Ambala, for the Rafale induction ceremony. Notably, the first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. (Photo: ANI)

The Rafale Saga: Delayed Timelines, Cost Escalation and An Executive Decision |Six companies shortlisted during the RFI process were issued the RFP for the procurement of 126 MMRCA of which 18 aircraft were to procured in “fly away condition” and the balance 108 were to be built by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) under transfer of technology (TOT). These were Dassault Aviation (France) for Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon (multinational), RAC-MiG (Russia) for the MiG 35 Fulcrum, SAAB International (Sweden) for JAS39 Gripen, Boeing (USA) for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin (USA) for the F-16 IN Super Viper.  By April 2011, two bids had been shortlisted for the purchase of MMRCA—Dassault Aviation for its Rafale and Eurofighter for its Typhoon. The final bids made by both were opened on 4 November 2011 and on 31 January and Dassault Rafale was selected for exclusive negotiations. READ FULL STORY HERE.

File to Flight: Meet the Ambassadors Who Were Key to Signing of Rafale Deal | As the Rafale aircrafts soared into the skies in Bordeaux in July, India’s ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf was at the Merignac airport to say bon voyage.  A 1991-batch IFS officer, Ashraf had taken charge as India's envoy to France about two weeks ago on July 13. His counterpart in India, Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain, congratulated him. In April 2015, when the Prime Minister Modi visited Paris and announced that India would acquire 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition, the Foreign Service Officer, Ashraf, was in the PMO. In fact, he transitioned from Manmohan Singh's tenure to the Modi tenure in the PMO. Read full story here. 

A Modern Fighter Jet Known for its Agility & Speed | The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.  Also known as Flanker (NATO), the Su-30 MKI is built in India by HAL under a license agreement with Russia’s Sukhoi. The Su-30MKI is exclusively used by India and there’s an estimate that IAF has 290 operational units of 30MKI till now. The first unit was inducted in 2002. The Rafale is a modern fighter jet known for its agility, speed, weapon holding capacity and attack capability. The Dassault Rafale has a delta wing design and is capable of g-forces as high as 11g (in case of emergency). The Rafale is available in both single and dual seating cabin (India ordered 28 single and 8 dual seater Rafale).

The five Rafale aircraft to be formally inducted in 17 Squadron 'Golden Arrows' of the Indian Air Force, at Ambala airbase Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Armed Forces of France Florence Parly to take part in the induction ceremony. Active fighter jets used by the Indian Air Force range from Sukhoi Su-30MKI to the Tejas LCA and now, the Rafale.

Haryana: The five #Rafale aircraft to be formally inducted in 17 Squadron 'Golden Arrows' of the Indian Air Force, at Ambala airbase

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Armed Forces of France Florence Parly to take part in the induction ceremony pic.twitter.com/n5PlCUTXtw

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2020

How Effective Would IAF’s Latest Fighter Jet Be in a Two-Front War | Rafale’s induction will change the technological imbalance India had in air vis-à-vis Pakistan’s US-supplied F16 aircrafts with superior radar and missile system as well as China-supplied Chengdu JF-17, which is at the centre of Pakistani Air Force’s fleet modernisation plans. Of the three, Chinese J-20 is the heaviest with empty weight of over 19,000 kg and maximum take-off weight of 37,013 kg, according to open source information. The empty weight of Rafale ranges from 9900 kg to 10600 kg depending on the variant and a maximum take-off weight of 24500 kg. JF-17 on the other hand is much lighter, weighing around 6,411kg with maximum take-off weight of 12,474 kg. This means both Rafale and J-20 are capable of carrying more fuel and weapons per flight compared to JF-17.

The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. During her visit to the national capital, paid floral tributes to India's valiant soldiers at the National War Memorial.

Rafale vs China’s J-20 vs Pak’s JF-17 | Both Chinese JF-17 currently used by PAF and Chengdu J-20 used by China are multi-role combat fighter aircraft (MRCA) meaning aircraft intended to perform various day/night roles during combat. China claims JF-17 Thunder is a fourth-generation aircraft and the J-20 is a fifth-generation machine. The task assigned to these aircraft could be multiple, including air-to-air attack, air-to-surface attack, aerial reconnaissance, interception, suppression of enemy air defence, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence. Dassault’s Rafale, due to its state-of-the-art technology, has been classified as a 4.5 generation aircraft. It is claimed to be an "omnirole" fighter, a tag that points to the aircraft’s abilities to “go beyond the needs of each type of mission’. READ FULL STORY HERE

Singh and Parly Leave for Ambala | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Armed Forces of France Florence Parly leave for Ambala to take part in Rafale induction ceremony. The fleet, comprising three single seater and two twin seater aircraft, are being inducted into the IAF as part of its Ambala-based No 17 Squadron, also known as the 'Golden Arrows.'

Minister of Armed Forces of France Receives Guard of Honour | Minister of the Armed Forces of France Florence Parly receives a ceremonial Guard of Honour on her arrival at Delhi. She will attend the Rafale induction ceremony at Ambala.(Photo: ANI)

Seen here, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meeting Florence Parly, Minister of Armed Forces of France, at Palam Air Force Station before leaving for Ambala for the induction ceremony of Rafale aircraft.

‘Rafale Aircraft Will Give India Strategic Advantage in Aerial Combat’ |The Rafale aircraft will give India a strategic advantage in case of any aerial combat with China in the mountainous Tibet region as the fleet will be able to use the terrain to its advantage, destroy enemy air defence and incapacitate the surface-to-air missiles, former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal (retd) BS Dhanoa had said last month.  Dhanoa, known as the architect of the Balakot strikes, said the Rafale jets along with S-400 missile systems will give the Indian Air Force a major combat edge in the entire region and that India's adversaries will think twice before starting a war with it.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, his French counterpart Florence Parly, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar are among those who…

This is Parly's Third Visit to India Since 2017 |It will be Parly's third visit to India since 2017 and one of her very first official trips since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, the embassy said. The French defence minister will be accompanied by top executives from Dassault Aviation, Thales Group, Safran, and MBDA, representing the French defence majors that have been partnering with many Indian companies as part of the Rafale deal.

France Describes India as Foremost Asian Strategic Partner |France on Wednesday described India as its "foremost" Asian strategic partner and said the upcoming visit of its Defence Minister Florence Parly to the country is aimed at further strengthening the "forward-looking" defence cooperation with New Delhi. The French defence minister will hold talks with her Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The Ambala base is considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF as the Indo-Pak border is around 220 km from it. Authorities had imposed prohibitory orders near the Ambala Air Force Station and banned taking of pictures and videos. A large number of police personnel were also deployed in a three-kilometre radius. The IAF has spent around Rs 400 crore to develop required infrastructure like shelters, hangars and maintenance facilities at the two bases.

Schedule for the Induction Ceremony | The induction ceremony will commence at 10am and will conclude at around 11:45 am. Post the ceremony, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly will address a press briefing from 12 noon to 1pm.

Military aviation experts say Rafale’s addition would significantly enhance the IAF's overall operational capability to counter the Chinese threat, and it would also provide effective deterrence…

Experts Say Rafale’s Addition to Significantly Enhance Air Force’s Operational Capability | Military aviation experts say Rafale’s addition to India’s fighter fleet would significantly enhance the Air Force’s overall operational capability to counter the Chinese threat, and it would also provide effective deterrence against Pakistani aggression. Rafale’s induction will change the technological imbalance India had in air vis-à-vis Pakistan’s US-supplied F16 aircrafts with superior radar and missile system as well as China-supplied Chengdu JF-17, which is at the centre of Pakistani Air Force’s fleet modernisation plans.

Seen here, Florence Parly, Minister of Armed Forces of France, arriving at Delhi's Palam airport. She is the chief guest for Rafale induction ceremony at Air Force Station, Ambala. The induction of one of the most potent combat jets globally will give India’s air power an edge in the midst of a tense border row with China.

#WATCH Florence Parly, Minister of Armed Forces of France arrives at Delhi's Palam airport. She is the chief guest for Rafale induction ceremony at Air Force Station, Ambala pic.twitter.com/Z2V086HouC

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2020

Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets. While the first squadron of the Rafale jets will be stationed at Ambala air base, the second one will be based at Hasimara base in West Bengal. 

Seen here, Rafale fighter aircraft at the Indian Air Force station in Ambala, today morning. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will formally induct the five Rafale fighter aircraft into the Indian Air Force.

Rafale fighter aircraft at the Indian Air Force station in Ambala, today morning.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will formally induct the five Rafale fighter aircraft into the Indian Air Force, today. pic.twitter.com/Pgz82SeCHv

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2020

Capable of Carrying a Range of Potent Weapons |The Rafale jets are capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets. Meteor is a next generation beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed to revolutionise air-to-air combat. 

Delivery of all 36 Aircrafts to be Completed by End of 2021 |The delivery of all 36 aircrafts is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021. A second batch of four to five Rafale jets are likely to arrive in India by November. Sources said a preliminary discussion on a possible procurement of another batch of 36 Rafale jets by India from France may figure in the talks between Singh and Parly.

French Defence Minister Reaches Delhi | French Defence Minister Florence Parly has arrived at Delhi’s Palam Airport. Parlay is here to attend the ceremony of the induction of the Rafale combat jets into IAF. She will receive a Guard of Honour at South Block and she is also expected to pay a visit to the National War Memorial before heading to Ambala.

Singh and Parly to Hold talks in Ambala after Ceremony | After the ceremony, Parly and Singh will hold talks in Ambala on ways to further deepen bilateral defence and security cooperation after the ceremony, they said. Ten Rafale jets have been delivered to India so far and five of them stayed back in France for imparting training to IAF pilots. The delivery of all 36 aircraft is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021. A second batch of four to five Rafale jets are likely to arrive in India by November. Sources said a preliminary discussion on a possible procurement of another batch of 36 Rafale jets by India from France may figure in the talks between Singh and Parly.

First Batch of 5 Jets Arrived in India on July 29  | The first batch of the five jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The French delegation at the ceremony will include French envoy Emmanuel Lenain, Air Gen Eric Autellet, Vice Chief of French Air Force, Chairman and Chief Executive of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier and CEO of missile maker MBDA Eric Beranger.