NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, JULY 28
On their way to India from France, five Rafale jets were refulled mid-air from a French tanker at a height of 30,000 feet, according to photos released on Tuesday by the Indian Embassy in France.
Rafales on their way to India with mid air refuelling. @SpokespersonMoD @DDNewsGujarati@PIBAhmedabad @tv9gujarati @Zee24Kalak @BOC_MIB @MIB_India
PC : @IAF_MCC pic.twitter.com/UkrTeYaCRJ— PRO Defence Gujarat (@DefencePRO_Guj) July 28, 2020
The jets took off from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday and will be arriving in India on Wednesday afternoon after covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km.
“Indian Air Force appreciates the support provided by French Air Force for our Rafale journey back home,” the IAF tweeted.
#NationalCadetCorps #Gujarat #BloodDonationCamp 51 Cadets & personnel of 1Guj I Coy & #5GujNavalUnit #Bhuj donated blood as a commitment towards well being of their fellow countrymen. @SpokespersonMoD @BOC_MIB @ROBgujarat @HQ_DG_NCC @IndianRedCross @PIBAhmedabad @Bhujmahiti pic.twitter.com/QMqVmAA9lZ
— PRO Defence Gujarat (@DefencePRO_Guj) July 28, 2020
On Monday evening, the Rafales landed at Al Dhafra airbase in the UAE after flying for over seven hours, officials said adding it was the only stopover by the jets while flying from France to India.
#NationalCadetCorps #Gujarat Rakhies, masks & greeting cards prepared by cadets of #8GujNavalUnit #Jamnagar for #soldiers who are on duty away from their homes. @SpokespersonMoD @BOC_MIB @HQ_DG_NCC @adgpi @ROBgujarat @InfoGujarat @PIBAhmedabad @airnews_abad @DDNewsGujarati pic.twitter.com/S15Rkek11S
— PRO Defence Gujarat (@DefencePRO_Guj) July 28, 2020
“Few shots from 30,000 feet! Mid-air refuelling of #RafaleJets on their way to #India,” the Indian Embassy in France tweeted along with a number of pictures of the jets being refuelled mid-air.
#NationalCadetCorps #Gujarat #6GujGirlsBn #Surat Cadets message #donatebloodsavelives posters 2 mitigate blood scarcity #COVID19 @BOC_MIB @SpokespersonMoD @airnews_abad @banchha1 @HQ_DG_NCC @IndianRedCross @MoHFW_INDIA @MIB_India @ROBgujarat @PIBAhmedabad @COVIDNewsByMIB pic.twitter.com/WEacj30fdt
— PRO Defence Gujarat (@DefencePRO_Guj) July 28, 2020
The fleet, comprising three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft, is arriving at Ambala airbase on Wednesday afternoon where they will be officially inducted into the IAF as part of its No 17 Squadron, also known as the ”Golden Arrows”, said one of the officials.
The aircraft are expected to significantly boost the IAF’s combat capabilities at a time when India is locked in a tense border row with China in eastern Ladakh. The IAF has already deployed all its frontline fighter jets in key airbases along the Line of Actual Control, the de-facto border between India and China.
India had inked a Rs 59,000 crore deal on September 23, 2016, to procure 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation.
The first Rafale jet was handed over to the IAF in October last year during a visit to France by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
