BIG: 3 Rafale jets handed to India; being used to train IAF pilots & French technicians

MoS Defence Shripad Naik in a written reply in Lok Sabha informed that 3 Rafale fighter aircraft have been handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) till date. He added that the aircrafts are being used for training of IAF pilots and technicians in France. The development comes days after the Supreme Court of India dismissed review petitions on Rafale. 

Supreme Court's order on Rafale

The Supreme Court dismissed the review petitions in the Rafale case against its December 14, 2018 judgment upholding the 36 Rafale jets' deal, giving a clean chit to the Modi government. The review petitions asked for a review in the jet deal with French firm Dassault Aviation. The top court rejected the plea that there was a necessity for registration of an FIR in connection with the Rafale deal.  The five-judge bench comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices SK Kaul, and KM Joseph pronounced the contentious judgment. Justice Kaul, pronouncing the judgment said that the Court found "no merit" in the review petition. The Supreme Court further said, "This Court did not think it appropriate to embark on the roving and fishing inquiry."

READ: Rajnath Singh to receive 1st Indian Rafale aircraft in France on Oct 8

Controversy over Rajnath Singh's Shastra Puja

Earlier in October, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was in France to receive the first unit of Indian Air Force's Rafale fighter jet, he performed a Shastra puja at the Merignac airbase in France. Visuals showed the Defence Minister marking the aircraft with the auspicious symbol - 'Om' with vermillion. Visuals also showed a coconut is placed on the wing of the aircraft and holy turmeric threads tied around the wing of the aircraft. He also placed two 'nimbus' beneath the wheels of the aircraft. This incident created a major controversy, with the Opposition claiming that the BJP is saffronising the Defence equipments.

READ: IAF receives first ‘acceptance’ Rafale aircraft from Dassault Aviation

About Rafale aircraft

India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons and missiles and the first squadron of the aircraft will be deployed at Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. Earlier, the defence minister also flew a sortie in the MMRCA fighter jet from a French airbase in Paris to gain first-hand experience of the aircraft. The first Rafale had a tail number ‘RB 01', where 'RB' stands for Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, who played an important role in negotiations for procuring 36 Rafale jets in the flyaway condition, reports said.

WATCH: BJP leader Bhupender Yadav welcomes SC's decision of dismissing Rafale pleas