Five Rafale jets of the 36 signed with the French Government has touched down at Ambala this afternoon. The aircrafts and the pilots were received at the station by IAF chief RKS Bhaduria.
The team of pilots were led by Group Captain Harkirat Singh, the commanding officer of the No 17 Squadron also known as “Golden Arrows”.
The Rafale fighter jets will be inducted into the IAF’s Golden Arrow squadron today.
Soon after taking off from the Al Dhafra Air base in UAE, the Rafale pilots established contact with Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata, deployed in the Western Arabian Sea.
Here is the audio:
#HEAR: Indian #Rafale contingent establishes contact with Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata deployed in Western Arabian Sea. pic.twitter.com/NOnzKOo2fa
— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2020
The Rafale pilot expressed his pleasure over being received by INS Kolkata guarding the seas. INS Kolkata responded back in a brief interaction saying “May you touch the sky with glory. Happy landing!”.
The jets had taken off on Monday from France’s Mérignac Air base. It had a brief halt at the Al Dhafra Air Base in UAE. The jets undertook a mid air refuelling exercise too.
Indian airforce single seater Rafale BS004 during Mid-air Refuelling pic.twitter.com/IUBcKbfvYe
— MaverickⓂ️ (@Maverick_bharat) July 28, 2020
The first Rafale’s tail has the number RB-001, the initials of Rakesh Bhadauria who had led the complex negotiations.