The IAF, in a statement, Monday said that after the arrival on 29 July, “efforts will focus on operationalisation of aircraft at the earliest”. A formal induction ceremony will be held in Ambala in the second half of August.
According to the contract signed in September 2016, 12 aircraft are supposed to be delivered every year.
French defence major Dassault Aviation, which is manufacturing the Rafale jets, had since October last year handed over to the IAF a total of nine aircraft. The 10th is undergoing acceptance trials by IAF pilots in France.
Four aircraft were to originally land in May, but got delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Once inducted, the Rafale with its cutting edge missiles will be the most modern and deadly fighter in this region.
“The target is to ensure that the Rafale is immediately operationalised. The IAF is already mission deployed in wake of the tensions at the Line of Actual Control. The aircraft is a big boost to the firepower capability and in a way a morale booster also,” a source in the defence establishment said.
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The IAF said that its aircrew and the ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly advanced weapons systems and are fully operational now.
Also read: All about Rafale fighters, the game-changing dream machines IAF will get tomorrow