Kiren Rijiju remembers late Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar as Rafale jets touchdown

As the fleet of Rafale jets landed at Indian Air Force's Ambala airbase on Wednesday, the historic moment was celebrated by one and all, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing a Sanskrit couplet lauding the new defence entrants. On the proud occasion, Union minister Kiren Rijiju took a moment to remember former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who was the architect of the Rafale deal.

Kiren Rijiju took to social media on Wednesday evening to pay a solemn tribute to the late BJP stalwart. India had inked the deal for 36 Rafale jets with France in September 2016 with Manohar Parrikar as the Defence Minister. 

Read: PM Modi Welcomes Five Rafale Jets To India With A Sanskrit Couplet After Touchdown

Earlier in the day, Goa Chief Miniter Pramod Sawant congratulated PM Modi for his strong and decisive leadership while retweeting the September 2016 post from Manohar Parrikar Memorial account which shows the then Defence Minister signing the official document alongside his French counterpart Francois Hollande. 

Read: Five Rafale jets to land in Ambala today, security tightened around air base

India's Rafale airpower

The first fleet of five jets comprises three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft arrived in India nearly four years after the two countries inked an inter-governmental agreement to supply 36 of the multi-role jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF) under a Rs 59,000-crore deal.

All 36 jets are expected to arrive in India by September 2022, for which the IAF has been reportedly undertaking preparations, including readying the required infrastructure and training of pilots.

On October 8, 2019, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had received the first Rafale during his visit to the Dassault Aviation facility in Mérignac and performed a Shastra puja marking the aircraft with the auspicious symbol - 'Aum' with vermillion. 

WATCH: Five Rafale jets touch down at Indian Air Force's Ambala air base

What sets the Rafale jet apart?

The Rafale is fitted with 14 hardpoints and 13 India-specific enhancements. Its total external load capacity is more than 9 tonnes. Hence, it can lift the equivalent of its own empty weight in payloads. Its loitering capacity is 1.5 times that of the Sukhoi. The range is 780 to 1055 km as against 400-550 km of a Sukhoi jet.

Similarly, the Rafale jet can engage in 5 sorties per 24 hours against 3 by the Sukhoi. Moreover, The Rafale is powered by two SNECMA M88 engines, which helps it attain a range of more than 3,700 km. Having a top speed of 2223 km, it is equipped with laser-guided bombs weighing 900 kg. 2500 rounds per minute can be fired from its internal cannon.  

Rafale considered as a 4.5 generation aircraft will now lead the IAF's fighter jets.Also, Rafale maintenance time per flight hour is 2.25 hours against 6-8 hrs for other fighters.

Read: Rafale Jets - The Hammer and other weapon systems that make the aircraft lethal; read here