Published 13:45 IST, July 27th 2020
'Beauty and the beast': Watch India's Rafale's takeoff for delivery to IAF in Ambala
As India gears up in anticipation to welcome the Rafale jets, Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf posted a video message thanking the French Government
As India gears up in anticipation to welcome the Rafale jets from France, Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf on Monday posted a video message thanking the French Government and the Dassault Aviation for the timely delivery of the jets to India. Five Rafale jets took off from the Merignac facility in France on Monday on their way to India in a journey of more than 7000kms. Being flown by extremely well-trained Indian Air Force pilots, the jets would make a small pit-stop in UAE for refuelling before reaching Ambala on July 29.
"Our Air Force pilots tell us these are extremely swift, versatile and very deadly. You might call them both Beauty and the Beast. I would like to thank Dassault and the French Government. This would be a powerful symbol of the strategic partnership between India and France. Our pilots are very excited to be flying this machine. It's a remarkable display of their skill and endurance, the fact they would be able to do this with only one stop and mid-air refuelling. We wish them a safe flight," said Jawed Ashraf.
'Emblematic of new heights'
Taking to Twitter the official Twitter handle of the Indian Embassy in France shared a stunning video of the take off of the Rafale jets from the Merignac facility in France saying that the take would be 'emblematic of the new heights' in the defence relationship between Indian and France.
Rafale deal
The government of India signed a deal with the French government and Dassault Aviation to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets to bolster India’s urgent requirement on the eastern and western borders in September 2016. It costs more than 7.8 billion euros. While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the first Rafale during his visit to the Dassault Aviation facility in Mérignac, France on October 8, 2019, the aircraft were originally scheduled to arrive in the country by May-end after being refitted with India-specific enhancements. However, the delivery of the aircraft has been postponed by two months in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis in India and France. Sources add that the first Rafale shall be piloted by the Commanding Officer of the 17 Golden Arrows' squadron along with a French pilot.
Updated 14:09 IST, July 27th 2020