Question: In July 2020, France supplied first batch of 5 Rafale fighter jets to India. Which of the facts is not correct in this regard?
(a) On 27 July 2020, first five out of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft took off from Dassault Aviation Facility, Merignac, France.
(b) On July 29, 2020, these aircrafts touch down at Ambala Air Force Station.
(c) These aircraft has been inducted into the IAF as part of its Ambala-based No 17 Squadron, also known as the ‘Golden Arrows’.
(d) The batch of first five fighter jets includes two single-seater and three twin-seater aircraft.
Answer: (d)
Related facts:
- On 27 July 2020, first five out of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft took off from Dassault Aviation Facility, Merignac, France.
- On July 29, 2020, these aircrafts touch down at Ambala Air Force Station.
- Rafale jets were escorted by two Sukhoi 30 MKI supersonic fighters as they entered Indian airspace.
- After entering Indian Airspace, Indian Rafale contingent was welcomed by establishing radio contact with Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata, deployed in the Western Arabian Sea.
- The Rafale aircraft covered a distance of nearly 7,000 km from France to India with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop at a French airbase in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- The batch of first five fighter jets includes three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft.
- These aircraft has been inducted into the IAF as part of its Ambala-based No 17 Squadron, also known as the ‘Golden Arrows’.
- IAF’s 17 Squadron was resurrected on September 10,2019.
- The 17 squadron, which operated from Bhatinda air base, was disbanded in 2016 after the IAF started gradual phasing out of Russian-origin Mig 21 jets.
- No. 17 Squadron was raised in Ambala on 1 October 1951 under the command of Flight Lieutenant D.L. Springett. It initially flew Harvard-II B.
- A formal induction ceremony of Rafale aircraft in 17 Squadron is scheduled to be held in the second half of Aug 2020.
- India & France signed an inter-governmental deal in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
- Under this deal, India agreed to buy 36 Rafale aircraft from France for Rs 59 thousand crores.
- All aircraft will be delivered to India by the year 2021.
- The fighter jets were piloted by Group Captain Harkirat Singh who is the Commanding Officer of the 17 squadron, Wing Commander MK Singh, Group captain R Kataria, Wing Commander Abhishek Tripathi, Wing Commander Siddhu and Wing Commander Arun.
Rafale-The Omnirole fighter:
- The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation.
- The Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. The Rafale is referred to as an “omnirole” aircraft by Dassault.
- Rafale is equipped with MICA air-to-air (range 80 km), SCALP air to ground missiles (range of ove 300 km), Meteor air-to-air missiles (range of over 100 km) and HAMMER,short form of Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended RangeMissile, an air-to-ground precision guided missile to destroy bunker-type hardened targets within the range of 70 km.
- The state-of-the-art 4.5 Generation Rafale jet can reach almost double the speed of sound, with a top speed of 1.8 Mach.
- With its multi-role capabilities, including electronic warfare, air defence, ground support and in-depth strikes, the Rafale lends air superiority to the Indian Air Force.
- In addition to the above equipment, the Rafale carries the 30 mm GIAT 30 revolver cannon and can be outfitted with a range of laser-guided bombs,nuclear weapons and ground-attack munitions.
- Rafale is able to operate from both an aircraft carrier and a shore base.
- It is believed to be an expert in dodging radars.
- Once fuelled, Rafale can fly up to a range of 3,700 km.
- India will be the fourth country, after France, Egypt and Qatar, to fly the Rafale.
By-Amar Mani Upadhyay