Three new Indian Air Force Rafale fighters land in India.

This batch of Rafale fighters is the third set of deliveries of the French-origin Dassault aircraft to the Indian Air Force which has ordered a total of 36 fighters (equivalent of two squadrons). With these Rafales no. 9 to 11, the Indian Air Force squadron now has 11 aircraft. The delivery of the remaining 25 fighters will take place later this year.

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With these Rafales no. 9 to 11, the Indian Air Force squadron now has 11 aircraft (Picture source: Twitter account of Indian Air Force)

The planes flew to Jamnagar from France without a stopover on the way. Refuelling support has been provided by Indian and French air tankers. The first batch of five Rafales of the 36 ordered by the IAF reached the Ambala airbase on July 29, 2020 after a stopover at the Al Dhafra airbase near Abu Dhabi. The second batch of the IAF’s three Rafale fighter jets had reached the Jamnagar airbase in Gujarat from France in early November 2020 before they flew to their homebase in Ambala. Indian Air Force pilots are being trained in batches at the Saint-Dizier air base in France.

The fighter jet will be armed with HAMMER missiles. It will also be armed with beyond visual range MBDA missiles like Meteor, SCALP and MICA, increasing its ability to take on incoming targets from a distance.