The first batch of Rafale aircraft prepare to take off from Dassault Aviation Facility, Merignac, in France. PTI file
New Delhi, July 29
The touchdown of five Rafale jets on Indian soil on Wednesday caps years of intense political dogfight, with the ruling BJP projecting the purchase as a huge boost to national security and the Congress alleging corruption, before a clean chit by the Supreme Court to the deal removed any hurdle in its acquisition.
Senior BJP leaders were jubilant as the multirole combat jets arrived at the Ambala Air Base, but this denouement marked by celebrations follows a long saga of political fights, with detractors of the deal taking their battle to the apex court and losing it there.
Even the Supreme Court’s dismissal in December 2018 of PILs demanding a court-monitored probe into the Rs 59,000 crore purchase of 36 fighter jets and assertion that it found nothing wrong in the deal, could not douse the political fire as the then Congress president Rahul Gandhi made his allegations of graft in the transaction a poll issue in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the opposition of compromising national interest by making “baseless” corruption charges and asserted that the French aircraft will bolster Indian Air Force capabilities manifold in a hostile neighbourhood.
Most political observers believe that Gandhi’s charges did not find much traction with voters as the saffron alliance retained power at the Centre with a bigger mandate, taking the wind out of the opposition’s sails in its campaign against the deal.
His diatribe against the prime minister with slogans like “chowkidar chor hai” (watchman is a thief) ended up boom-ranging, as the Congress was decimated in the elections.
The political row had erupted after the NDA government inked the Rs 59,000-crore deal on September 23, 2016 to procure 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation after a nearly seven-year exercise to procure 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force did not fructify during the Congress-led UPA regime.
The emergency acquisition was made primarily to check the depleting combat capability of the IAF as the number of its fighter squadrons had come down to a worrying 31 against the authorised strength of at least 42.
However, opposition parties, primarily the Congress, accused the Modi government of bypassing the due process and alleged that the cost per aircraft had turned out to be much more than what was being negotiated by the UPA dispensation.
The then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had asserted amid relentless protests in Parliament by the Congress that in reality the deal signed by the Modi government was 20 per cent cheaper than being negotiated by the UPA.
The government, however, declined to reveal price breakdown of the deal, saying it will compromise national interest by disclosing the details of the aircraft’s security features.A CAG report in February last year also vindicated the government’s position to a large extent, saying it secured a 2.86 per cent cheaper price for the fighter jets than what was negotiated by the UPA regime.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had on December 14, 2018 rejected plea for a probe into the deal, saying there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the Rafale’s procurement.
In November last year, the court rejected pleas for a review of its decision, putting a closure to the political controversy over the deal. PTI
Rafale fleet will be a game changer for India: Experts Combat jet is often compared with the US’ stealth F-35 aircraft and F-22
The first of five Rafale fighter jets, travelling from France, touches down at Ambala air base in Haryana. PTI
New Delhi, July 29
The Rafale jets, known globally as one the most potent strategic platforms with unmatched capability in carrying out a variety of roles, will significantly bolster India’s air combat capabilities when it is facing hostile neighbours like Pakistan and China, defence experts said on Wednesday.
The timing of induction of the 4.5 generation combat jets assumed significance as it came in the midst of India’s tense border row with China, they said.
They said the Rafales could be a game-changer for India after all the 36 jets join the Indian Air Force as no aircraft in possession of any country in the neighbourhood will be able to match their superior kinematic performance and powerful electronic warfare systems.
The Rafale jet, which is often compared with the US’ stealth F-35 aircraft and F-22, is able to carry out all combat aviation missions like air superiority and air defence, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence at varied speed limits of up to 1.8 Mach.
The aircraft proved its unmatched capabilities in air combat missions in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria in the last few years. India is the fourth country to have the strategic platform after France, Egypt and Qatar.
The Rafale, manufactured by French defence giant Dassault Aviation, entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006.
According to Dassault Aviation, the aircraft has a whopping 30,000 flight hours in €€€operations.
In comparison to F-35, experts said the Rafale jet is more agile as it has long-endurance to fly at a higher speed while carrying a range of weapons for a longer period of time. However, the F-35 scores much ahead of Rafales in terms of on board avionics and electronic warfare systems.
“It is one of the finest combat aircraft available in the global market. It is much more advanced and lethal then the current fighter aircraft available with China. It is definitely a boost to India’s defence preparedness. The timing of the arrival of the jets is perfect,” said defence expert De Laxman Behera.
When asked about China’s fighter jet J-20, he said it cannot be compared with Rafale as the French manufactured jet is much more potent than the Chinese aircraft.
Former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major (retd) too echoed Dr Behera’s observations.
“There was no comparison between Rafale and the J-20s. The world does not know about the J-20s. The Rafale jets will give the IAF superior air dominance capability,” the former IAF chief told PTI.
European missile maker MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp cruise missile and MICA weapons system will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.
The Indian Air Force is also in the process of procuring a new generation medium-range modular air-to-ground weapon system Hammer to integrate with the Rafale jets.
The Hammer (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a precision-guided missile developed by French defence major Safran. The missile was originally designed and manufactured for the French Air Force and Navy.
“India will have unmatched air power in the region when it has all the 36 Rafale aircraft. It will be a game changer for India,” said Dr Behera, who is a leading expert at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
He said both Pakistan and China must have taken note of induction of the fighter jets.
The government on Monday said the delivery of all 36 aircraft will be completed by the end of 2021.
India on Wednesday received its first batch of new multirole combat fighter aircraft in nearly two decades with the arrival of five Rafale jets.
The NDA government had inked a Rs 59,000-crore deal on September 23, 2016 to procure 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation after a nearly seven-year exercise to procure 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force did not fructify during the UPA regime.
The emergency acquisition was made primarily to check the depleting combat capability of the IAF as the number of its fighter squadrons had come down to a worrying 31 against the authorised strength of at least 42.
The fleet, comprising three single seater and two twin seater aircraft, is being inducted into the IAF as part of its Ambala-based No 17 Squadron, also known as the “Golden Arrows”. — PTI
Rafale home, mega boost for air power IAF eyes 230 more jets | Keen on raising squadron strength to 42 from 31
Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (2nd L) and Air Marshal B Suresh (R), Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command, with the Indian Air Force pilots of the first five Rafale aircraft on their arrival from France at the Air Force Station, Ambala, on Wednesday. PTI
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 29
Sukhoi Escort & Water Cannon Salute
Two Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets escort 5 Rafales into India
Rafales get water cannon salute on landing in Ambala at 3.10 pm
These will be inducted into No. 17 Squadron, the ‘Golden Arrows’
Rs59,000-cr aircraft deal was inked in 2016 for 36 Rafales
5 still in France for training; all 36 to arrive by 2023
Around 3 pm when the first lot of Rafale fighter jets touched down at the Indian Air Force base, Ambala, on Wednesday, it marked an incremental increase in the arc of operations and capability to strike.
The five jets, part of the 36 ordered from Dassault Aviation of France, arrived to a rousing welcome. They are the first step to building up the IAF strength to 42 fighter jet squadrons (16-18 jets in each). The IAF currently has 31 squadrons, including five with MiG-21s, which should have been ideally decommissioned by now.
The Indian forces assess a need for 42 squadrons (some 18 planes in each) to tackle a two-front war with Pakistan and China simultaneously. The remaining 31 Rafales will be delivered progressively till May 2023 or over the next 34 months. Also, 20 LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) Tejas will be inducted over the next two years, which will be added to the existing fleet of 20 Tejas fighters.
Besides the Rafales and Tejas, the IAF will be looking for 230 other jets to make good the shortfall.
As an immediate measure, India has gone back to its long-standing military ally Russia to order an additional 33 fighter jets. These will include 21 MiG 29, adding to the existing fleet of 59 jets. The purchase and the upgrade of the existing fleet will cost Rs 7,418 crore ($1billion approx). In addition, New Delhi is buying 12 Sukhoi 30 MKI. India has a sanction from Russia for licensed production of 272 such jets. The additional 12 fighters will meet the immediate shortages and make up for those that have crashed over the past decade.
Will protect territorial integrity
The new capability must be worrying those who want to threaten our territorial integrity. —Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister
A part of the 230-jet requirement will be met by the 83 Tejas Mark1A fighters, which will come with 43 improvements over the existing Tejas. The order is expected to be placed by the end of the year, sources said.
The IAF has expressed an interest to procure another 114 fighter jets under the “strategic partnership” model. In the race for this tender are the Lockheed Martin’s F-21, Boeing’s F/A-18IN, Eurofighter Typhoon, French Dassault’s Rafale, Swedish Saab’s Gripen and Russian MiG-35 and Sukhoi 35. But not much has moved on the procurement front.
France cements its place as key ally Paris provided emergency supplies of ammunition during Kargil War
Five Rafale fighter jets that landed today at Ambala do not constitute even half a squadron. But their delivery once again brings back the spotlight on France which has remained India’s trusted partner through the Cold War and beyond.
Just two years after India’s Independence and a year before US President Dwight Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” speech that opened the doors for multi-country civil nuclear collaboration, France and India had collaborated in a project to extract thorium from monazite sand. It was a dead-end, but it in turn led to a partnership that lasted till India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974.
While more Rafale jets will keep arriving and some may be assembled here, the ties between French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi may eventually lead to a stronger partnership in the maritime domain, especially in the Western Indian Ocean, where the Chinese threat is looming and the US is lukewarm about partnering with India.
But when India conducted its second nuclear test in 1998, Russia and France were the only major powers that did not succumb this time to the Anglo-US pressure to cancel military and security exchanges.
A year later, France made emergency supplies of ammunition during the Kargil War that was used by Mirage planes for accurate and debilitating strikes on Pakistani sangars on steep mountainsides. However, French military machines were doing yeoman service for the Indian armed forces much before the Mirages arrived. The Cheetah and the Chetak that feed and equip Indian soldiers in forbidding heights are also of French origin. However, military ties began just seven years after Independence. Over 100 Mystere fighter jets from France that joined the Indian Air Force were able to match the American Starfighters in dogfights during the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
While more Rafale will keep arriving and some may eventually be assembled here, the close personal ties between French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi may lead to a stronger partnership in the maritime domain, especially in the western Indian Ocean where the Chinese threat is looming and the US is lukewarm about partnering with India.
India and France have trodden that path before. Paris had helped install two listening stations on India’s western coast. These were to be linked with similar ones in Iran and France for a comprehensive coverage of the western Indian Ocean. But the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran ended that initiative.
Soldiers killed in Galwan will be honoured at war memorial
Colonel B Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of 16 Bihar, was among the 20 soldiers killed in the seven-hour deadly conflict near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley, where outnumbered Indian troops inflicted heavy casualties on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The names of all battle casualties are inscribed on the memorial.(HT photo)
The names of the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the brutal Galwan Valley clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh on June 15 will be inscribed on the National War Memorial in Delhi, officials said on Wednesday.
The soldiers fought off numerically superior Chinese troops in the remote sector.
Colonel B Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of 16 Bihar, was among the 20 soldiers killed in the seven-hour deadly conflict near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley, where outnumbered Indian troops inflicted heavy casualties on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The names of all battle casualties are inscribed on the memorial, the officials said.
During a recent visit to Ladakh, defence minister Rajnath Singh met and acknowledged the bravery of the soldiers from 16 Bihar in the presence of the military’s top brass.
Beijing has not disclosed the number of fatalities it suffered in the Galwan Valley clash but according to India’s assessment, the PLA suffered twice as many casualties.
Apart from 16 Bihar, soldiers from 3 Punjab, 3 Medium Regiment and 81 Field Regiment were involved in the first deadly conflict between Indian and Chinese troops along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in more than five decades.
The Indian soldiers confronted the Chinese troops, who refused to remove their installations and vacate the area, triggering a violent clash that involved more than 600 rival soldiers at its peak.
News updates from Hindustan Times: Focus on Indian culture highlights RSS influence on New Education Policy and all the latest news
A boy walks as volunteers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) stand before ‘Path Sanchalan’ (route march). (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)
Here are today’s top news, analysis and opinion at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.
Emphasis on Indian culture reflects RSS sway on New Education Policy
The renaming of human resource development (HRD) ministry as education ministry, and the emphasis on Indian arts, languages, and culture reflect the Rashtriya Syawamsevak Sangh (RSS)’s influence on the New Education Policy (NEP). Read more here.
‘Maintaining fitness levels at this time is the most important thing’: India Hockey captain Manpreet Singh | Exclusive
In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Manpreet speaks on the life amid lockdown at SAI Center in Bengaluru, and the plans to prepare for Tokyo 2020. Read more here.
Antitrust hearing: Amazon, Facebook, Google grilled, Apple gets away a little easy
Compared to the Apple CEO, all the other three CEOs spent at least three times longer being questioned. While that’s great for Apple and Cook, it’s not that great for the businesses that build on Apple platforms. Read more here.
Ahead of Raksha Bandhan this year, Karnataka postal circle has introduced an online portal called Rakhi Post to deliver rakhis across the country amid the Covid-19 outbreak. This year Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on Monday, August 3. Read more here.
On The Record | Matchmaking in India: Regressive or reality?
In the latest episode of On The Record, Hindustan Times’ Sunetra Choudhury speaks to filmmaker Smriti Mundhra on her latest Netflix release Indian Matchmaking. Watch here.
Abhishek Banerjee feels blessed to be an outsider: ‘Even the smallest of success becomes glory for me’
Paatal Lok actor Abhishek Banerjee says if he was a star kid, the pressure would have been 200% higher than it is now. Read more here.
IAF inducts Rafale today, here’s how the deadly fighter jets will boost India’s air power
Rafale is considered to be one of the finest fighters in the world. With its avionics, radars & weapon systems, it is the most potent aircraft in South Asia.
A Rafale taking off | Photo: Dassault Aviation
New Delhi: The five Rafale combat jets that will arrive at the Ambala Air Station Wednesday, after flying about 7,000 km from France, are the first foreign induction by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 23 years into its mind-boggling inventory of fighters.
Known as the 4.5 generation aircraft, the Rafale is considered to be one of the finest fighters in the world and is described as an ‘omnirole’ aircraft that can take up several missions on a single flight.
With its avionics, radars and weapon systems, the Rafale is the most potent aircraft in South Asia, much ahead of the F-16s that Pakistan uses or even the JF-20, the 5th generation stealth aircraft of China, which is yet to see combat.
Rafale are combat-proven having been inducted into conflicts in Afghanistan, Mali, Libya, Iraq and Syria.
While India had ordered 36 Rafale fighters in 2016, the numbers are just too small for the IAF.
Even though the IAF is supposed to come out with a Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) 2.0 for 114 fighters, work on it has been rather slow with a formal tender yet to be issued.
In between all these, talks of additional 36 Rafale fighters have been doing the rounds for long in the defence corridors.
We are deeply grateful to our readers & viewers for their time, trust and subscriptions.
Quality journalism is expensive and needs readers to pay for it. Your support will define our work and ThePrint’s future.
The Rafale will also have 13 Indian specific enhancements, all of which will be integrated once the full delivery is done by 2022. These enhancements include Israeli helmet-mounted display, ability to start in very cold and high altitude areas like Leh, among others.
The first Rafale, with tail number RB 001, which was handed over in France in October last year, will be the last one to arrive in India since all tests and integration would be tried out on it.
‘RB’ on the trainer aircraft’s tail stands for the initials of Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Bhadauria, the IAF chief. It is a tribute to Bhadauria for working out the Rafale deal as the force’s deputy chief earlier.
The single-seater comes with initials of BS, which stands for former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa.
Rafale to be 7th type of fighter in Indian inventory
The Rafale will be the 7th addition to the types of fighters that the IAF has — a feat very unique to the force in comparison to major air forces in the world.
It was in 2001 that the IAF had first moved a proposal to buy MMRCA — for which Rafales were eventually selected in 2012.
The IAF was keen on buying the Mirage 2000s and its French maker, Dassault Aviation, had offered to shift the assembly line of aircraft from France to India. It had, at the time, decided to shut down the aircraft line to pave way for the Rafale fighter jets.
But the Indian bureaucratic system delayed a formal decision in the matter and, in 2004, it was decided to float a global tender for the MMRCA rather than manufacture the Mirage 2000.
It was only in 2007 that a global Request for Proposal was issued, in which Rafale emerged as the winner in 2012.
PM Modi struck deal for 36 Rafale
Even though Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, was shortlisted as the lowest bidder after having cleared all technical requirements along with the Eurofighter Typhoon, the negotiations went nowhere.
The entire deal was stuck at pricing point as state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which was to manufacture the aircraft locally, quoted 2.57 times more man-hours to build the fighter jets. This meant the price of each aircraft was turning out to be much higher than what the French had quoted.
Also, the French refused to take guarantee for aircraft manufactured by HAL.
Another issue was that the quotes by Dassault Aviation did not carry all costs of the aircraft as against the Eurofighter, which had included the cost of even armaments.
By the time the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, negotiations for MMRCA were stuck with no headway.
ThePrint has learnt that it was in January 2015 that India first approached the French side to know if a government-to-government deal could be worked out for a smaller number of planes that would be bought off the shelf.
Hectic talks soon took place between the two governments and Dassault Aviation.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Paris in April 2015, he announced a mega plan to buy 36 Rafale jets in fly-away conditions. It took close to 18 months for the deal to be finally sealed.
With a range of 3,700 km, Rafale comes with its 10-tonne empty weight. It is fitted with 14 hard points. Five of these hard points are capable of drop tanks and heavy ordnance. Total external load capacity is 9.5 tonnes, which means that the Rafale can lift the equivalent of its own empty weight in payloads.
The maximum take off weight is 24.5 tonnes and the fighter can carry 4.7 tonnes of internal fuel and up to 6.6 tonnes external.
With a maximum speed of nearly twice the speed of sound, the landing ground run is 450 metres without drag-chute.
Weapons on board the Rafale are real game-changers
The biggest force-enabler for the IAF is the weapon-carrying capability of the Rafale, which can be tuned for delivering nuclear weapons too.
The game-changing missile on-board the Rafale is the over Rs 20-crore worth Meteor air-to-air missile.
Manufactured by European firm MBDA, the Meteor is a long-range rocket and ram-jet powered, and its integration into the Rafale weapon system brings about a paradigm shift in air-to-air affairs since it has a range of over 150 km with a zero escape kill distance of 120 km.
It means an Indian Rafale jet will be able to shoot down an enemy aircraft, even if over 100 km away, without even crossing the Indian air space.
Neither Pakistan nor China possess a weapon as deadly as the Meteor.
Another key missile on-board the Rafale is the over Rs 40-crore worth Scalp long-range air-to-ground stand-off cruise missile.
Weighing 1,300 kg, the 5.1 metre-long Scalp can be carried in either one missile or two missiles configuration on the Rafale.
The missile has a 600-km range and is known for its precision. The Rafale will not have to cross the Indian airspace to hit a target that is about 600 km in enemy territory.
It is a strategic weapon that can be used in penetration, impact or airburst modes, and can even strike deep even in anti-access and area-denial scenarios.
In a bid to deploy the new Rafale aircraft quickly amid tensions with China, the IAF has opted for the French HAMMER air-to-ground precision-guided weapon system under emergency procurement.
The IAF had rejected this system eight years ago in favour of the Israeli Spice 2000 used in the Balakot air strikes in 2019.
HAMMER, which stands for Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended Range, costing nearly Rs one crore, consists of a guidance kit and a range extension kit fitted on standard bombs of different makes.
The original plan was to equip the Rafale with Spice 2000 kits, which have already been integrated into the other French aircraft in the IAF inventory — the Mirage 2000.
The Spice 2000 needs to be integrated into the Rafale aircraft. Keeping the cost of Spice, integration and testing in mind along with the time that the whole process will take, the IAF went in for the HAMMER.
The Rafale will also be equipped with the Mica air-to-air missiles. The IAF plans to further integrate the BrahMos NG missiles with the Rafale when it is finally made by the Indo-Russian joint venture.
The Indian Rafale comes with an Israeli Litening pod for sensor commonality across platforms in the Indian inventory and not the Thales TALIOS laser designator pod that France uses.
The Rafale comes with RBE2 Active Electronically Scanned Radar, which when compared to radars with conventional antennas, gives unprecedented levels of situational awareness with earlier detection and tracking of multiple targets.
Rafale also has the ‘Front Sector Optronics’ (FSO) system, which is immune to radar jamming while operating in the optronic wavelengths.
It also comes with Spectra-integrated electronic warfare suite that provides long-range detection, identification and localisation of infrared, electromagnetic and laser threats.
The system incorporates radar, laser and missile warning receivers for threat detection plus a phased array radar jammer and a decoy dispenser for threat countering, according to the MBDA, which had developed the system with defence contractor Thales.
The pricing of Rafale
A lot has been spoken and written about the pricing of the Rafale deal, struck at 7.878 billion euros.
Immense political slugfest had also ensued over the fighter jets’ pricing ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The vanilla price (basic aircraft) cost about 91 million euros each for a single-seater and about 94 million euros for a two-seater trainer aircraft, which works out to be about 3.42 billion euros. The weapons cost about 710 million euros, while Indian-specific changes are priced at approximately 1,700 million euros.
Associate supplies, including simulators, for the 36 fighter jets cost about 1,800 million euros while performance-based logistics cost about 353 million euros.
Under the performance-based logistics agreement, 75 per cent of the Rafale has to be available at all times for operation.
Since tensions in Ladakh began, three service chiefs have been meeting regularly to plan military strategies.
Representational image of Indian Navy ships | Photo: Commons
New Delhi: Amid the stand-off with China in Ladakh, the Indian Navy has deployed a large number of ships under the Eastern and and Western Naval Commands in the Indian Ocean region to send out a clear “message” to China, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said that the “message has been registered” by China.
They added that the three service chiefs have been meeting regularly since the border tensions in Ladakh started simmering from early May and all military strategies are being planned jointly.
As reported by ThePrint, the development comes as the Indian military is preparing to respond to Chinese aggression in a joint manner keeping in mind the possible collusion of China and Pakistan.
“India has reacted in all domains to counter China and to tell her that what she has done is unacceptable. This involves the Army, Navy, Air Force, diplomacy and even economics,” a top government official said.
The official added that the ships have been deployed to send out a message.
Asked if this message has been received by China, the official said: “Yes. China has picked up the message. It has registered”.
The official, however, refused to get into the details of what the message was and how he was sure that the message was received.
China has always been concerned about India possibly blocking the Malacca Strait through which 80 per cent of the Chinese goods travel by sea, including petroleum.
Sources said that the Indian Navy has not spotted any “alarming” movement by the Chinese PLA Navy so far.
ThePrint had earlier reported that additional ships have been deployed by the Navy, but the extent of the deployment could only be known now.
The Navy has also gone in for emergency procurement of “niche equipment”, details of which are being withheld for operational secrecy.
New plans for Andaman and Nicobar Command
Government sources said that one of the key bases for India is the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), the only tri-service Command of India.
They said that a lot of plans are in the works to fully exploit the capability of the Command, which gives India closer accessibility to the Malacca Strait.
The Indian Air Force has also sent its maritime strike variant of Jaguar fighters to the Car Nicobar Air Base under the ANC as part of the preparedness.
From this Command, the Navy has the ability to dominate the Malacca Strait.
The Eastern Naval Command had earlier carried out a major exercise under the area of operation of the ANC and a Passex Exercise with the US in the same waters.
Air commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather has become a buzz name in Kashmir overnight.
Hilal saw off the first batch of Rafale jets which took off from France to India on Monday. Among other things, he has also been associated with the weaponisation of the Rafale aircraft for acclamitisation to Indian requirements.
Hilal is presently India’s Air Attache in France.
The career details of this officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) read like the decoration scroll of the best flying officer anywhere in the world.
Born in the south Kashmir’s Anantnag district to middle class parents, Hilal’s father, late Mohammad Abdullah Rather retired as a deputy superintendent of police (Dy SP) in J&K police department.
He has three sisters and is the only son of his parents.
Hilal studied in Sainik School in Nagrota town of Jammu district. He was commissioned in IAF as a fighter pilot on December 17, 1988.
He became flight lieutenant in 1993, wing commander in 2004, group captain in 2016 and air commodore in 2019.
He graduated from defence services staff college (DSSC). He also graduated from air war college (USA) with distinction. He won sword of honour in NDA.
Hilal is recipient of Vayu Sena medal and Vishisht Seva medal.
With an impeccable record of 3,000 accident-free flying hours on mirage-2000, MIG-21 and Kiran aircraft, Hilal’s name will now forever be associated with Rafale in India. — IANS
On way to India, 5 Rafales re-fuelled mid-air by French tanker Rafale would be a game-changer in the current scenario when India is facing border tension with China
Midair refuelling of one of the five Rafale jets, which took off from France on Monday, on its way to India. PTI Photo
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
The first squadron of the Rafale jets will be stationed at Ambala air base.
Official sources said the Rafale jets are likely to be deployed in the Ladakh sector as part of IAF’s efforts to enhance its operational capabilities along Line of Actual Control with China in view of the border row with the country.
The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.
Meteor is the next generation of BVR air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) designed to revolutionise air-to-air combat. The weapon has been developed by MBDA to combat common threats facing the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden.
The Meteor is powered by a unique rocket-ramjet motor that gives it far more engine power for much longer than any other missile, said an official.
The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. The IAF spent around Rs 400 crore to develop required infrastructure like shelters, hangars and maintenance facilities at the two bases.
Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets. PTI
Midair refuelling of one of the five Rafale jets, which took off from France on Monday, on its way to India. The Rafale aircraft are covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km from France to India with a single stop in UAE. (PTI Photo)Midair refuelling of one of the five Rafale jets, which took off from France on Monday, on its way to India. The Rafale aircraft are covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km from France to India with a single stop in UAE. (PTI Photo)
State Stalwarts
FAUJI HEART
PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
MAJOR GEN HARVIJAY SINGH, SENA MEDAL ,corps of signals
+919589143386
sanjhamorcha303@gmail.com
PRESIDENT HARYANA STATE UNIT SANJHA MORCHA
BRIG HPS BEDI , VSM ,JAK Rif
PRESIDENT PANCHKULA HARYANA UNIT SANJHA MORCHA
BRIG DALJIT THUKRAL (Retd) BENGAL SAPPERS
SECY (HONY) NRI’s ESMs , ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
SUB AVTAR SINGH
+1(647)501-8112
AFFILIATED TO SANJHA MORCHA
INDO-CANADIAN VETERANS GROUP
FOUNDER CHAIRMAN SANJHA MORCHA
MAJOR SANTOKH SINGH DHILLON,SIGNALS
FOUNDER PRESIDENT SANJHA MORCHA
COL RANJIT SINGH BOPARAI ,ASC
INDIAN DEFENCE FORCES
DEFENCE FORCES INTEGRATED LOGO
FORCES FLAGS
15 Th PRESIDENT OF INDIA SUPREME COMMANDER ARMED FORCES
Droupadi Murmu
DEFENCE MINISTER
Minister Rajnath Singh
CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF (2nd)
General Anil Chauhan PVSM UYSM AVSM SM VSM
INDIAN FORCES CHIEFS
CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF(29th)
GENERAL MANOJ PANDE, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC
CHIEF OF AIR STAFF(26th)
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari PVSM AVSM VM ADC
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)
Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC
COMMANDS
GOC-in-C NORTHERN COMMAND
Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, AVSM,
GOC-in-C WESTERN COMMAND
LIEUTENANT GENERAL MANOJ KUMAR KATIYAR, AVSM
GOC-in-C CENTRAL COMMAND
LT GEN YOGENDRA DIMRI, AVSM,VSM
GOC-in-C Eastern Command
LT GEN RANA PRATAP KALITA, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM,
GOC-in-C Southern Command
Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM
GOC-in-C SW Command
LT GEN AMARDEEP SINGH BHINDER, AVSM, VSM,
PRESIDENT PANCHKULA HARYANA UNIT SANJHA MORCHA
BRIG DALJIT THUKRAL (Retd) BENGAL SAPPERS
+919417268380
sanjhamorcha303@mail.com
PRESIDENT DISTT SAS NAGAR
BRIG MANOHAR SINGH
+9181469994697
sanjhamorcha303@mail.com
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command
ice Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, AVSM, YSM, VSM
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command
