Ambala: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has received a timely boost following the arrival of the first batch of five Rafale fighter jets from France.
He remarked that those who want to “threaten our territorial integrity” should be “worried” about India’s latest acquisitions.
“The Birds have landed safely in Ambala. The touchdown of Rafale combat aircrafts in India marks the beginning of a new era in our Military history. These multi-role aircrafts will revolutionise the capabilities of the IAF,” Singh tweeted after the jets landed at Ambala Air Force base at 3.10 pm.
They covered a distance of 7,000 km, from the Merignac airbase in Bordeaux, with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates.
The fighter aircrafts, flown by IAF pilots, were escorted by two Sukhoi 30 MKIs once they entered Indian airspace. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria received the fleet at Ambala.
The fighter jets will be officially inducted into the IAF in the second half of August.
