The 101 squadron is starting with around half a dozen Rafale aircraft. Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria was present at the airbase on the occasion.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday said that Centre should take cognisance of the alleged "corruption" in the Rafale deal.
Following the development, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come forward and order a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal.
On the operationalisation plan, you are aware, we are fully operational.. so, in terms of time, we will be absolutely on time," he told reporters after reviewing the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal.
India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
After a direct ferry from Francecs Merignac Air Base, the 5th batch of Rafales arrived in India on April 21. The fighters flew a distance of almost 8,000 km with air-to-air refuelling support by France Air Force and UAE Air Force.
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria visited a Rafale aircraft training facility on the third day of his five-day visit to France. He also thanked the French aerospace industry for ensuring timely delivery of the jets.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the Rafale fighter jet deal, saying karma is the ledger of one's action and no one can escape it.
The fourth batch of 3 Rafale fighter jets arrived in India from France on Wednesday. The jets were provided mid-air refuelling by aircraft from the United Arab Emirates.
3 more Rafale fighter jets will join land in India today. The fighter jets will join the Golden Arrows Squadron in Ambala.
The new additions would increase the number of these planes to 21 as already 11 of these planes are flying with the Ambala-based 17 Squadron.
The Indian Air Force plans to raise its second squadron of Rafale fighter jets at Hasimara Air Force base in West Bengal by next month to counter threats from China.
Noting the actions and capabilities of the Chinese side, the IAF Chief said, "They had brought their J-20 fighter aircraft (to areas close to Eastern Ladakh) and they go off from there but that is the flexibility of airpower.
The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, 2020, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.
Five Rafale fighter planes were formally inducted into the IAF in September last year. India is procuring the fighter planes from France. A total of 38 Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft participated in the flypast this year.
One Rafale with 2 Jaguar Deep penetration strike aircraft & 2 MiG-29 Air Superiority Fighters, in 'Eklavya’ formation are the next to fly past, at a height of 300m & speed of 780 Km/h.
Parade culminates with a single Rafale aircraft flying at a speed of 900km/hr carrying out a ‘Vertical Charlie’. The aircraft is piloted by Gp Capt Harkirat Singh, Shaurya Chakra, Commanding Officer of 17 Squadron with Sqn Ldr Kislaykant.
Ex-Desert Knight 21 in Jodhpur: The IAF deployment in the exercise will include Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI, Rafale, IL-78 flight refuelling aircraft and the AWACS.
The newly inducted Rafale fighter aircraft will feature in India's Republic Day parade on January 26 and culminate the flypast by carrying out the 'Vertical Charlie' formation.
The Rafale fighter jet inducted into the IAF last year will fly over the Rajpath during the Republic Day parade
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