30 July,2020 11:06 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria & AOC-in-C WAC Air Marshal B Suresh/picture courtesy: IAF's Twitter account
Five of the 36 medium multi-role Rafale fighter jets built by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault landed safely at the IAF airbase in Ambala on Wednesday afternoon. Significantly, the frontline IAF airbase is likely to be used in case of conflict at the northern or the western borders. Celebrating the glory of the country, Bollywood celebrities - Parineeti Chopra, Anupam Kher, Kailash Kher, Sidharth Shukla shared the victory on social media.
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The five Rafale jets joined the Indian Air Force on Wednesday and the ones to follow after this will not have the India specific changes that make them more lethal and potent.
The Defence Minister thanked the French Government, Dassault Aviation and other French companies for ensuring the timely delivery of the aircraft and its weapons, despite severe restrictions posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He pointed out that the aircraft has very good flying performance and their weapons, radar and other sensors and electronic warfare capabilities are among the best in the world. Rafale has the capacity to carry atomic warheads and defence experts believe that the technology used in manufacturing this jet is much better than the F16 jets owned by neighbouring Pakistan and the Chinese J 20 fighter jets.
With inputs from IANS
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