Last Rafale fighter aircraft lands in India amid border tension with China
New Delhi/UNI: Amid increasing tensions with China along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, the last of the 36 IAF Rafale fighter aircrafts landed in India on Thursday.
"Fleet 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, says Indian Air Force," the IAF said in a tweet.
India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 to procure 36 Rafale fighter aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.
With the landing of the final Rafale aircraft, the delivery of all Rafale fighters from France is complete.
The first five Rafale aircraft for the IAF arrived at Air Force Station, Ambala from France on July 27, 2020.
The Indian Air Force formally inducted the aircraft on September 10, 2020 in a ceremony at Air Force Station, Ambala.
France had supplied 35 Rafale aircraft and the country had to wait a little longer for the 36th aircraft.
Showcasing close bilateral and defence ties, the Chiefs of the Indian and French Air Forces flew a sortie last month in Jodhpur during Exercise Garuda VII.
While the IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari flew a sortie in a Rafale fighter, the Chief of French Air and Space Force Gen Stephane Mille flew in an IAF Su-30 MKI fighter.
IBNS
Senior Staff Reporter at Northeast Herald, covering news from Tripura and Northeast India.
Related Articles
Thirty lakh officials, Rs. 11,718 crore, mobile apps — India’s mega Census 2027 to be held in two phases
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the proposal to conduct the Census of India 2027 at an estimated cost of Rs. 11,718.24 crore.
Historic first! India–Greece maritime talks signal bold move in global naval strategy
The inaugural India - Greece Maritime Security Dialogue was held on Thursday in Athens, Greece, when the two sides exchanged assessments of the maritime environment in the Mediterranean, Arctic and the Indo-Pacific regions.
Shashi Tharoor skips Rahul Gandhi meeting for third time in a row, heightens Congress unease
New Delhi/IBNS: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has once again missed a key meeting of the party’s Lok Sabha MPs led by Rahul Gandhi.
'Don’t join politics': Why Tharoor defied his mother and endorsed his conviction
Kolkata/IBNS: The warning had come from the person whose word mattered the most. “People will spoil your name,” Sulekha Menon had told her son, a rising diplomat with a spotless global reputation. For a mother watching her child walk into the rough-and-tumble of Indian politics, it was nothing short of heartbreak. But Shashi Tharoor, even then, was ready to leap.
Latest News
Tribute turns into roast: Kolkata’s 70-foot ‘Messi’ statue sparks meme storm ahead of inauguration
Tripura govt to move HC to reopen 1996 massacre case: CM Dr Saha
Four women drug peddlers from Bihar and a driver arrested with large quantities of Ganja at Churaibari
Jemima Goldsmith accuses X of 'filtering' her posts on jailed ex-husband Imran Khan, appeals to Elon Musk
