The combat capabilities of Indian Air Force will touch new skies when India will receive the first batch of the Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation in September. The much-awaited French Rafale fighter jets which also became a centroid of a big political controversy before general elections will give new wings to India’s ambitions of emerging as a regional superpower in South Asia.
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The pilots of the Indian Air Force are already in France undertaking comprehensive training and will also test the machines thoroughly before Rafale jets are inducted in the elite force.
The Pakistani Air Forces have reportedly started to deploy military equipment to their forward bases close to Ladakh. “Three C-130 transport aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force were used to carry equipment to their Skardu airbase opposite and Islamabad is most likely to place Chinese build JF-17 fighters there.
How Rafale will boost IAF’s capabilities
Rafale is a multi-role fighter jet which has nuclear capabilities. The state of the art fighter jets can very effectively engage in air to air as well as air to ground combats. In addition to all these features, the Rafale jets are also equipped with Meteor missiles as well as SCALP ground attack missiles enabled with a range of 300 kilometres.
When it comes to surveillance and tracking, the Rafale jets are equipped with AESA RADARS, SPECTRA electronic warfare capabilities and IRST systems. The Indian Air Force has for the long demanded state of the art fighter jets to enhance its combat capabilities especially when the old squadrons of Indian fighter jets are ageing.
The Indian Government has signed an agreement with France’s Dassault Aviation to acquire multiple Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force.
Ambala Airbase Geared-Up
The first batch of Rafale Jets to be inducted in service will be added to the ‘Golden Arrows’ 17 Squadron based in Ambala. The airbase at Ambala has a strategic significance for India given its proximity to the western border. The Ambala Airbase is also the home to the Jaguars which have rapid deployment capabilities along the India-Pakistan border.
