5 Rafale fighters land in Ambala, will be inducted into IAF 'Golden Arrows' Squadron

The first batch India's five incoming Rafale fighter jets landed at the Ambala Air Force base at around 3.14 PM on Wednesday (July 29, 2020) amid a ceremonial welcome and unprecedented security. The jets took off from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday and covered a distance of 7,000 km with air-to-air refueling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates.

Ambala: The first batch India's five incoming Rafale fighter jets landed at the Ambala Air Force base at around 3.14 PM on Wednesday (July 29, 2020) amid a ceremonial welcome and unprecedented security. The jets took off from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday and covered a distance of 7,000 km with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to Twitter to share the development. ''The Birds have landed safely in Ambala. The touch down of Rafale combat aircraft in India marks the beginning of a new era in our Military History. These multirole aircraft will revolutionise the capabilities of the @IAF_MCC.'' the Defence Minister tweeted. 

The Birds have landed safely in Ambala.

The touch down of Rafale combat aircrafts in India marks the beginning of a new era in our Military History.

These multirole aircrafts will revolutionise the capabilities of the @IAF_MCC. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 29, 2020

In a direct message to Pakistan and China, Rajnath Singh said ''those who want to threaten India's territorial integrity should be worried now'' while welcoming the Rafale fighters.  

The Defence Minister also shared a video of touchdown of Rafale fighters at the Ambala IAF airbase.

The Touchdown of Rafale at Ambala. pic.twitter.com/e3OFQa1bZY — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 29, 2020

The Indian Air Force earlier tweeted a picture as the incoming Rafale jets entered the Ambala air space. 

Welcome home 'Golden Arrows'. Blue skies always.

The Arrow formation (Rafales) was given ceremonial welcome by SU-30s.#IndianAirForce #RafaleInIndia #Rafale pic.twitter.com/RP0wITfTPZ — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) July 29, 2020

Soon after entering the Indian airspace earlier, the incoming Rafales jets exchanged greetings with the Indian Naval warship INS Kolkata situated in the Western Arabian Sea. News agency ANI shared an audio clip in which the warship can be heard welcoming the fighter jets as they enter the Indian Ocean. 

The Aero leader of the Rafale contingent then thanked the warship and said, "Most reassuring to have an Indian warship guarding the sea". The audio goes on as follows: ''INS Kolkata: May you touch the sky with glory, happy'' Aero Leader Rafale: ''Wish you fair winds, happy hunting over and out.''

This contact was established between the two elite units of the Indian Armed Forces, soon after the Rafales took off from UAE for their destination in Ambala.

The five Rafales were escorted by IAF's two SU30 MKIs as they entered the Indian air space, the Defence Ministry informed.

The five Rafales escorted by 02 SU30 MKIs as they enter the Indian air space.@IAF_MCC pic.twitter.com/djpt16OqVd — रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) July 29, 2020

The squadron of Rafale jets will be stationed at the Ambala airbase in Haryana. The fleet of five jets comprises three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft. Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders near the Ambala Air Force Station, banning shooting of videos and photography.

The Ambala district administration has also prohibited people from flying private drones within the three-km radius of the airbase, officials said earlier. Section 144, which prohibits assembly of four or more people, has been imposed in the villages adjoining the airbase, including Dhulkot, Baldev Nagar, Garnala and Panjkhora.

Ambala Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Sharma said the shooting of videos or taking photographs of the boundary wall of the airbase and its adjoining areas will remain strictly prohibited during the imposition of the prohibitory orders.

Meanwhile, the Haryana Police has set up several check barricades and police officers were seen patrolling residential localities near the airbase, making announcements over loudspeakers warning people not to stand on the rooftop of their houses to click pictures or shoot videos.

Nearly four years ago, India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to purchase 36 Rafale jets under a Rs 59,000-crore deal to boost the IAF's combat capabilities. The five Rafales are scheduled to be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday, though a formal induction ceremony would be held later.

The jets will be inducted into the IAF as part of its No 17 Squadron, also known as the 'Golden Arrows'. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.

Of the 36 jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets. The IAF has undertaken major infrastructure upgrades at the Ambala base for the deployment of the first Rafale squadron.

Built in 1948, the airbase is located on the east side of Ambala and is used for military and government flights. The airbase has two squadrons of the Jaguar combat aircraft and one squadron of the MIG-21 'Bison'. Air Force Marshal Arjan Singh was the first commander of the base.

The Mirage fighters that were used for the airstrike in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 after the Pulwama terror attack had taken off from here.