The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday shared an update on Twitter on receiving the last of the 36 Rafale jets. “Feet dry! ‘The Pack is Complete’. The last of the 36 IAF Rafales landed in India after a quick enroute sip from a UAE Air Force tanker. (sic),” the IAF tweet read, along with the picture of an aircraft.
FEET DRY!
‘The Pack is Complete’
The last of the 36 IAF Rafales landed in India after a quick enroute sip from a UAE Air Force tanker.
Shukran jazeelan. @modgovae pic.twitter.com/5rkMikXQeS
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 15, 2022
In February, India received three of the last four fighter planes. The jets – fully equipped with India-specific requirements – were handed over by France at Istres-Le Tube air base of Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation, situated north-west of Marseille.
Among the India-specific enhancements in the jets are included helmet-mounted sight, radar warning receivers, flight data recorders with enough storage for 10 hours, infra-red search and track systems, and towed decoys to lure incoming missiles away and missile approach warning system, HT had reported earlier. The cost of each jet was estimated to be around ₹670 crore.
Last month, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Marshal VR Chaudhari was seen flying an IAF’s Rafale fighter jet, while French Air chief Gen Stéphane Mille took off in an Indian Russian-origin Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft during ‘Garuda VIl’ bilateral exercise in Jodhpur. Definitely, we require 4.5 generation aircraft, five to six squadrons of these aircraft (Rafale) to meet immediate requirements.” the air chief marshal had said post the flying exercise.
