After covering a distance of 7,000 kms from France, five Rafale jets entered the Indian Air Space this afternoon to finally land in Ambala.
After leaving UAE earlier, the jets were welcomed over the Indian Ocean by Navy ship, INS Kolkata deployed in the Arabian Sea. “Welcome to the Indian Ocean… May you touch the sky with glory,” the Naval warship was heard telling a Rafale commander in an audio.
The jets, piloted by IAF officers, took off from Merignac in southwest France yesterday and refueled midair on the way. Spectacular visuals posted by the Air Force yesterday showed the jets refueling from a French tanker at a height of 30,000 feet.
Chief of Air Staff RKS Bhadauria will be present at the Ambala airbase to receive the Rafale jets. For the unaware, India has signed a Rs 59,000-crore deal with France on September 23, 2016, to recruit 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation.
The planes are expected to boost India’s air power massively amid tensions with China and Pakistan.
