Sanjha Morcha

Five Rafales take off from France Will cover about 7,000 km single stop in UAE

http://

The first batch of five Rafale jets on Monday took off from an airbase in the French port city of Bordeaux for India

The aircraft landed at Al Dhafra airbase in UAE after over seven hours. The jets will reach the Ambala airbase on Wednesday

It will take 10 hours flying from France for Rafales to reach home

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 27

Flying almost half way around the world from France to India, the IAF’s latest warbird, Rafale, would have spent over 10 hours in the air over two continents before landing its new nest at Ambala to provide a much need fillip to the country’s air power.

The direct distance on the map between Merignac in France to Al Dofra airbase in Abu Dabhi is 5,430 km. As IAF fighters are not going to overfly Pakistan, they will first hit the Gujarat coast after taking off from Al Dofra and then turn northwards.

The direct distance from Al Dofra to Jamnagar is 1,610 km and from Jamnagar to Ambala is 1,100 km.

This makes it roughly 8,140 km from the origin to the destination. Aircraft never fly directly between two places and the route comprises several waypoints, depending upon airspace availability, restricted areas, international treaties, etc., where they are supposed to make turns or change course.


Read also | In photos: First batch of 5 Rafale jets takes off from France for India

Ambala gets ready to receive first 5 IAF Rafale jets


Since the exact air traffic route that the Rafale aircraft are taking is known and they have to overfly several countries, the route would predictably be a bit longer than the direct distances between the aforementioned places.

According to a fighter pilot, the cruise speed of aircraft during long range ferry missions is about 14 km per minute, which translates to 840 km per hour. If the Rafales have to traverse a total distance of over 8,140 km, the pilots could end up spending over 10 hours in the cockpit, albeit in two phases. Start-up procedures, taxing time, overhead circling and approach also have to be considered.

The Rafale has a top speed of 2,223 kmph at high altitude and 1,390 kmph at lower altitude. Pictures of IAF Rafales taking-off from France have shown them to be equipped with three drop tanks for extra fuel – one under each wing and one on the underbelly centerline, giving them a ferry range of about 3,700 km. A French Air Force tanker would render mid-air refueling support during the Merignac – Abu Dabhi leg, which IAF officer estimate would be done over the Mediterranean Sea, closer towards the coast of Egypt or Israel.

The stretch from Abu Dabhi to Ambala, via Gujarat can be covered without mid-air refueling.

In recent times, IAF pilots have flown fighters over long distances on several occasions before when SU-30s and Jaguars have gone to Europe and North America for joint military exercises. IAF IL-78 aerial refuellers accompanied them. There have been instances in the past when newly purchases fighters have flown in from Europe after making several stops enroute.

Continuous flight in a fighter over several hours has physical, psychological and physiological implications for pilots. Unlike a transport aircraft, the cockpit of a fighter is cramped with no room for bodily movements and the physical and mental demands of flying a fighter and the endurance required are more than that in larger aircraft.

Once the five aircraft, three single seaters and two twin-seater trainers, touch down at Ambala Air Force Station and are inducted into No. 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows, it would be all work.

While the first batch of the aircraft and the pilots and ground crew accompanying them are said to be fully operational, their immediate task would be to train and indoctrine additional pilots and ground crew as more aircraft come in. As the squadron begins forming and expanding more and more officers and airmen would be posted in.