As China remains adamant at the Line of Actual Control, (LAC), the Indian Air Force power got augmented with three more Rafale fighters that landed at the Jamnagar airbase in India, after mid-air refuelling by tanker support from France and UAE, on Wednesday (October 13) night.
The three new fighter jets will increase the count of Rafale jets to 29 out of the total 36 India had ordered and due to the growing relationship with France and the UAE, when the fighters took off from France and flew all the way to India after mid-air refuelling over the Middle East was provided by friendly Air Force.
After Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari took over as the Chief of Air Staff earlier this month this will be the latest batch of India’s 4.5 generation fighters that would be distributed between the Golden Arrows squadron in Ambala and the 101 squadron in Hashimara, West Bengal.
The Golden Arrows squadron based in Ambala and the 101 squadron in Hashimara in West Bengal is important airbases that can easily intercept and destroy any Chinese air incursion. Ambala is even more important because of its close proximity to Pakistan.
In an inter-governmental agreement that was signed with France in September 2016, India consented to the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around ₹58,000 crores and the first five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29 last year and all these fighters are India specific which include special enhancements that would make it more lethal and capable.
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