The last of the 36 Rafale fighter jets from the French Dassault Aviation have landed in India. As per the contract the French Company had to complete the deliveries by the end of 2022.
Confirming this to Financial Express Online a senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officer said, “The 36th Rafale landed in India on the evening of December 14, 2022). This means that the French company has completed its deliveries of 36 fighters.”
The IAF announced on social media that ‘The Pack is Complete’. It tweeted that the last of 36 IAF Rafales have landed in India after a quick en-route mid-air refueling from a UAE Air Force tanker aircraft.
According to the IAF the last Rafale took off from France on its way to India and it was re-fuelled by the UAE Air Force.
The last aircraft which arrived in India was used for developing the India-specific enhancements which are for the fleet of the IAF. Financial Express Online has reported earlier that India signed a deal worth Rs 60,000 crore with the French Company Dassault Aviation for 36 `Rafales’ combat aircraft in 2016. Till July this year India had received 35 of these and they all are part of the IAF fleet and stationed at Ambala Air Force Station, and Hashimara in West Bengal.
The last aircraft which arrived is the same aircraft which has the initial `RB’ tail number. This aircraft has come with all its parts replaced as it was being used for development activities and the French side has also provided spares.
It has already been reported that the IAF has started upgrading the fighters received earlier to the highest standards and now are being equipped with India-specific enhancements.
More about the aircraft
IAF has now 35 Rafales in its fleet which is a 4.5-generation aircraft.
The aircraft which is equipped with long range air-to-air ground missiles, electronic warfare capabilities and advanced radars is helping the country regain its supremacy over the skies.
The French company is involved in the maintenance of the aircraft. Its serviceability is over 75 per cent.
It carries potent weapons including European MBDA’s long-range Meteor air-to-air missiles as well as the Scalp air-to-ground missiles. It also carries a MICA weapon system. And to carry out precision attacks, the IAF has added the HAMMER missile to the Rafale’s arsenal.
Background
On July 29 2020, despite the global lockdown due to COVID pandemic, the French company delivered the first batch of five Rafale fighters.
More about ‘RB’
Financial Express Online has reported earlier that all the Rafales that are inducted in the IAF will come with their unique tail number. Each fighter aircraft and the trainer aircraft show a different set of alphabets as initials.
It may be noted that when the company handed the first Rafale to India it had a tail number as ‘RB 01’. This is the initials of the Air Chief RKS Bhadauria (now former Air Chief).
Why? Because the former Air Chief was the chief negotiator for the deal.