First five out of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft bought by India from France arrived at India's Ambala airbase in Haryana from France, as part of the deal called by New Delhi a milestone to enhance the Indian-French defense cooperation, the Times of India newspaper reported on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th July, 2020) First five out of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft bought by India from France arrived at India's Ambala airbase in Haryana from France, as part of the deal called by New Delhi a milestone to enhance the Indian-French defense cooperation, the Times of India newspaper reported on Wednesday.
On Monday, the Indian Embassy in Paris said that the five jets departed from France for the destination country following reports that New Delhi had asked Paris to accelerate the deliveries against the backdrop of border tensions with China.
According to the media, the aircraft covered about 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles), while the trip included mid-air refueling and an overnight pit stop in the United Arab Emirates.
The batch comprises three single-seat and two twin-seat fighters that were flown by seven pilots of the Indian Air Force, the newspaper reported.
In September 2016, France agreed to supply 36 Rafale jets to India. The original number was 126, but the Indian government had to decrease the number due to the high cost of the fighter jet. All aircraft are expected to be delivered by the end of 2021.
